Oli sidelines rivals, strips Ishwar Pokhrel of key role, elevates Bishnu Rimal

KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli has continued sidelining leaders who challenged him, most recently stripping former senior vice-chair Ishwar Pokhrel of his responsibilities during the party Secretariat meeting held on Tuesday.

Oli relieved Pokhrel of his role as head of the party’s Policy and Research Institute, a position Pokhrel had been overseeing. The responsibility has now been handed to Bishnu Rimal, a close aide of Oli who was defeated both for central committee membership and the post of deputy general secretary in the party’s 11th General Convention.

Despite holding no elected position within the party, Rimal has been entrusted with multiple high-level responsibilities. On the same day, Oli also appointed him secretary of the Election Mobilization Committee led by Vice-chair Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ for the upcoming March 5 election.

Oli’s proposal reportedly drew dissatisfaction from several Secretariat members, who questioned the decision to assign such key roles to a leader rejected by the party convention while removing Pokhrel, who commands a significant following within the party.

However, Oli defended his decision, arguing that Rimal’s long association with the party and his youth made him suitable for the responsibilities. Following Oli’s insistence, Pokhrel was relieved of his role at the Policy and Research Institute.

In the 11th General Convention, Rimal lost both the central committee and deputy general secretary races, while Pokhrel won a central committee seat but was defeated by Oli in the contest for party chair.

According to a Secretariat member who spoke to Khabarhub, Oli appears reluctant to work closely with Pokhrel after the recent leadership contest and is instead pursuing a strategy aimed at discouraging potential challengers.

“Some of us argued that Pokhrel should not be stripped of his responsibility, given his strong support base within the party,” the Secretariat member said. “But our concerns were ignored. The chair pushed the decision through. Once he did, everyone fell silent.”

Following the reshuffle, Pokhrel has been included as a member of the manifesto drafting committee for the March 5 election. The committee is chaired by Oli himself.