KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli is making determined efforts to prevent former President Bidya Devi Bhandari from re-entering the party.
Oli summoned leaders who had participated in the Chyasal meeting to Baluwatar and instructed them not to provide any space for Bhandari within the party structure.
Oli had already revoked Bhandari’s organized membership following her announcement of a return to UML politics on June 28. Since then, internal discussions have intensified.
After Bhandari introduced herself as the former UML Vice Chair at a press conference in Babarmahal last Thursday, Oli launched a campaign to block her re-entry. He began calling provincial and regional leaders to Baluwatar, instructing them not to include Bhandari in any meetings, discussions, or party forums.
He summoned provincial leaders, including regional in-charges, to the Prime Minister’s official residence and firmly directed them not to allocate any role or space to Bhandari in the party.
Bhandari, who had been attempting to reassert herself through the Madan Bhandari Foundation, was even dismissed by Oli as a mere “gust of wind.”
On Saturday, Oli called the Karnali leaders who had arrived in Kathmandu for the central committee meeting to Baluwatar. He advised them to remain united and not be swayed by what he referred to as “a gust of wind” in a clear reference to Bhandari.
During a three-hour meeting at Baluwatar, Oli addressed all UML central members representing Karnali. Thanking them for promoting unity during the UML’s ninth central committee meeting, Oli emphasized that the party has weathered many major storms throughout its history and that the current turbulence would also pass.
“The UML and its leadership have faced far greater storms in our struggle to reach this point,” Oli stated. “This is just a small gust of wind. It can be handled calmly. Instead of being distracted by it, you must stay united and focus on strengthening the party in your respective areas.”
He claimed that some forces unsettled by the UML’s recent policies and the popular work done by the government under its leadership were now trying to stir instability within the party.
Oli expressed regret that a respected figure like Bhandari had joined the ranks of such forces. UML Standing Committee member and Karnali Province in-charge Gorakh Bahadur Bogati, who was present at the meeting, quoted Oli as saying, “It is unfortunate that someone the UML elevated to national prominence is now engaged in an internal party dispute over membership.”
Oli criticized Bhandari’s recent actions, saying, “We never imagined such a decision from someone we entrusted with a national role. To see someone who should have embodied the federal democratic republic reduce herself to quarreling over party membership is a blow to her stature.”
He explained that the UML was compelled to take a firm stance because someone expected to act as the nation’s guardian had instead focused on renewing her membership with an eye on the party chairmanship.
Chairman Oli directed leaders to work with the unwavering focus of Arjuna to make the UML the leading political force in all ten districts and every local level of Karnali.
UML central member Bishnu Rijal confirmed that the meeting lasted three hours. “We have faced major storms before. This is only a small gust of wind. It will be resolved smoothly,” Rijal said, echoing Oli’s remarks.
Oli, acknowledging that the party has been under siege since he assumed leadership, urged the leaders to focus on making UML a party that stands firmly for the nation and the people. He emphasized that the next major goal should be to secure the party’s mandate as the leading force in the 2027 elections.
During the meeting, UML leaders from Karnali also presented organizational concerns and suggested development priorities for a prosperous Karnali, according to in-charge Bogati.
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