KATHMANDU: The contest for leadership is gaining momentum at the CPN-UML’s 11th General Convention, where seven women leaders are seeking roles in the party Secretariat. In all, eight women have formally declared their intention to run, underscoring growing female engagement in party politics.
Current Vice-Chair Asta Laxmi Shakya and Secretary Padma Aryal are among the prominent contenders. Other candidates include central committee members Dr. Binda Pandey, Julikumari Mahato, Rachana Khadka, Jwalakumari Sah, and Ramkumari Jhankri.
The party’s statute has been amended to expand the Central Secretariat to 19 office bearers. Although the number had been increased to 15 during the second statutory convention held last Bhadra, Deputy Secretary General Pradeep Gyawali has indicated that the upcoming convention may once again increase the number of Secretariat positions.
According to him, Chairman KP Sharma Oli is currently working on the proposal. If the Secretariat remains at 19 positions, as in the 10th General Convention, two seats for women will be mandatory.
The statute passed during the second statutory general convention provides for 15 office bearers: one chairperson, three vice-chairpersons, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries, and seven secretaries, with one seat reserved for a woman. If amended, the new structure may include 19 positions, including two for women.
Profiles and claims of the contenders
Asta Laxmi Shakya: She has been active in UML politics since 2048 BS. She became a central committee member after the party’s fifth general convention and was elected vice-chairperson for the first time at the ninth general convention in 2071 BS. Shakya, now 72, also served as vice-chairperson in the 10th General Convention in Chitwan.
There is widespread expectation that she will again be a leading contender for vice-chairperson in the 11th General Convention. Shakya, however, says she supports generational change: “I have said many times that those who have reached 70 should step back and give new leaders a chance. When senior leaders including Chairman Oli step aside, I will do the same.”
She added that although she is not actively preparing for another term, she will step forward if the situation requires it. Shakya is likely to be included in senior vice-chairman Ishwor Pokharel’s panel, where he is also a candidate for party president.
Padma Aryal: She became UML’s Syangja district chair in 2070 BS and is aiming for the vice-chair position this time. Seen as a trusted ally of Chairman Oli, especially after Bamdev Gautam left the party, she is also preparing to contest for deputy general secretary if she does not secure the vice-chair role in the Oli-led panel.
Ram Kumari Jhankri: Jhankri has not publicly announced her candidacy for secretary, though she is widely seen as aspiring to the position. A prominent intellectual figure within the UML, she joined the Madhav Nepal camp after the CPN-UML split in 2077 BS. She later entered the CPN (Unified Socialist), became Minister of Urban Development, and served as a party secretary.
Aryal was elected secretary during the Chitwan convention with 1,800 votes. She had followed Bamdev Gautam when the UML split into ML in 2054 BS, but remained with UML even after Gautam’s departure. Oli is said to have greater confidence in her than in many senior leaders.
Although she lost the 2022 election in Syangja to Nepali Congress vice-president Dhanraj Gurung, Aryal is expected to hold a significant position—either vice-chair or deputy general secretary—after the 11th General Convention. She confirmed to Khabarhub that she is preparing to enter the Secretariat race.
Rachana Khadka: Rachana, a youth leader from Dolakha, became the youngest central committee member at age 28 during the UML’s ninth general convention in Kathmandu, and she was reelected in the 10th convention. Known for her outspoken criticism of party leadership, she is preparing to contest for central secretary from senior vice-president Ishwor Pokharel’s panel.
According to party insiders, she is likely to be the only female candidate for secretary from Pokharel’s group. Khadka publicly announced her candidacy on Sunday, telling Khabarhub that the UML needs generational change: “I support new leadership emerging from the 11th General Convention. The debate on generation shift must advance.” Now nearing 40, she says she is contesting to represent the younger generation.
Binda Pandey: Standing committee member and intellectual leader Binda Pandey has been a consistent critic of Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s unilateral decision-making. She argues that individualism has overshadowed collective leadership in the UML, warning that the party will face setbacks if its leadership structure is not reformed at the 11th General Convention.
Pandey began her political activism in 2037 BS while still a school student and entered the student movement at age 14. She later became a teacher and, in 2047 BS, joined the Central Committee of the UML-affiliated ANNFSU.
In 2062 BS, she played a key role in formulating an eight-point proposal on gender issues within the UML Women’s Department, which was later endorsed by the party’s Central Committee.
She has long worked at the forefront of advocacy and is known as a staunch champion of gender issues. Although she completed her PhD in 2017, many believe she has not received the leadership responsibilities she deserves within the UML. She has stated that she will not contest for the post of secretary at the party’s 11th General Convention.
Speaking to Khabarhub, she said she would be a candidate for positions other than secretary and that internal discussions were underway. If Asta Laxmi Shakya formally announces her departure from active politics, Pandey is expected to be nominated as the vice-presidential candidate from the Ishwor Pokharel panel.
If Shakya remains in the race, Pandey will likely seek the position of deputy general secretary. She appears to have strong support from those working to expand the organization nationwide and increase women’s participation in the party.
Julikumari Mahato: Julikumari, who began her political journey with ANNFSU, is married to UML central secretariat member Raghubir Mahaseth. If Mahaseth steps down from the secretariat, Mahato could have an opening. It is not yet clear which faction she and Mahaseth will support at the 11th General Convention.
Party insiders, however, suggest they may align with senior vice-president Ishwor Pokharel, although there are also indications she may ultimately join the Oli camp if negotiations over positions succeed.
Some leaders speculate that former Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai may also seek a post in the secretariat. However, as she is currently focused on her PhD studies, many believe she is unlikely to enter the race at this time.
Mahato became a UML Central Committee member in 2074 BS and had previously served on the party’s Janakpur Zonal Committee. She won the 2022 House of Representatives election from Dhanusha Constituency No. 3 for the third time, defeating the five-party alliance candidate Anil Kumar Jha. If her husband is not included in the secretariat this time, Mahato is preparing to seek a position there herself.
Jwala Kumari Sah: Jwala Kumari, who left the Maoist party and joined the UML in 2077 BS, has already served as a minister three times at the age of 41. After staying with the UML following the party split, she is regarded as close to Chairman KP Sharma Oli, and is said to have returned partly because her parents were longstanding UML supporters.
This time, she is a candidate for secretary from Madhesh Province representing the Oli faction. Although she initially built ties with Ishwor Pokharel, she is expected to pursue her candidacy from Oli’s side, acknowledging that Oli played a key role in bringing her back into UML politics. Many within the party believe she will be appointed secretary once the integration of former Maoist members is finalized.
Ram Kumari Jhankri: Jhankri has not publicly announced her candidacy for secretary, though she is widely seen as aspiring to the position. A prominent intellectual figure within the UML, she joined the Madhav Nepal camp after the CPN-UML split in 2077 BS. She later entered the CPN (Unified Socialist), became Minister of Urban Development, and served as a party secretary.
She was defeated by Jayanti Rai for the post of vice-chairperson at the Unified Socialist’s 10th General Convention. Disappointed after Madhav Nepal removed her from the ministerial role, she has also expressed dissatisfaction with Jhalanath Khanal. Following the unification of Nepal and Khanal with the CPN-Maoist Centre, Jhankri returned to the UML.
Once a vocal critic of Oli, she has recently moved closer to him. However, because she rejoined the party only recently, there is uncertainty over whether Oli will place full trust in her. Even so, she is seen as a potential ally, similar to Mahesh Basnet, and is said to be telling party leaders that she intends to contest for the secretary position.
Some leaders speculate that former Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai may also seek a post in the secretariat. However, as she is currently focused on her PhD studies, many believe she is unlikely to enter the race at this time.
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