KATHMANDU: KP Sharma Oli is facing mounting internal pressure within the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) following the party’s electoral setbacks and political turmoil surrounding the Gen-Z protests held on September 8 and 9, 2025.
After the collapse of the coalition government led by the Nepali Congress and UML on September 9, Oli has increasingly come under criticism and is now seen by many within the party as politically isolated.
Oli was arrested on March 29 over allegations linked to the government crackdown during the Gen-Z protests. Acting on the direction of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, then Home Minister Sudan Gurung ordered his detention. Oli spent 13 days under police supervision while undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital before being released on bail on April 9.
He remained hospitalized until April 18 following surgery for kidney stones and is currently resting at his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur.
Leadership pressure intensifies
Sources within the UML say General Secretary Shankar Pokharel had urged Oli before his arrest to consider providing an exit for the party leadership in light of the evolving political situation.
Leaders close to Pokharel say he indirectly suggested that Oli should step aside, though Oli reportedly gave no response and instead continued discussing strategies for his political defense.
The party’s internal divisions have widened after UML was reduced to just nine seats in the March 5 elections. Senior leaders including Vice Chair Bishnu Poudel and Pokharel are said to be aligned in favor of leadership change, while a younger generation within the party has also begun openly demanding a transition.
At present, only a handful of leaders, including Secretary Mahesh Basnet, Vice Chair Bamdev Gautam, and Deputy General Secretary Lekharaj Bhatta, are seen publicly defending Oli.
Frustration spills out in Gundu meetings
On Wednesday, Oli held discussions with leaders and provincial assembly members from Sudurpashchim Province at his Gundu residence to address internal disputes in the province. Notably absent from the meeting were most senior office-bearers and close aides.
The main agenda was the leadership dispute within the UML parliamentary party in Sudurpashchim, where divisions persist over whether to retain parliamentary party leader Rajendra Singh Rawal.
Leaders present at the meeting said Oli appeared angry toward party officials whom he believes are trying to shift blame for the election defeat onto him.
“He made it clear that he is not in the mood to step down,” one provincial lawmaker told Khabarhub. “He said he could face the Central Committee directly if necessary.”
Oli reportedly argued that the party’s defeat was not solely due to his leadership and even claimed that “Facebook algorithms” had contributed to UML’s electoral losses.
Plans to bypass secretariat
Leaders who attended the Gundu meeting said Oli is now considering bypassing the party secretariat, where he lacks strong support, and instead seeking legitimacy through the Central Committee.
According to insiders, Oli believes he can still secure majority backing from the broader Central Committee despite growing opposition within the top leadership.
Meanwhile, debates over restructuring UML have intensified. A section of leaders has demanded a special general convention, dissolution of existing committees, and formation of an interim structure to reorganize the party.
Some leaders, including central committee member Jhapat Rawal, recently organized a gathering in Kathmandu calling for major reforms, renewed membership verification, and leadership transition.
Differences emerge over alliances
Internal contradictions have also surfaced over future political alliances. Oli is said to favor closer cooperation with Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the Maoist camp in provinces such as Koshi and Sudurpashchim, while Pokharel reportedly continues dialogue with the Nepali Congress.
Oli has expressed dissatisfaction with both Hikmat Kumar Karki in Koshi Province and Congress-led leadership in Sudurpashchim, signaling that UML may reconsider existing provincial arrangements.
With political pressure mounting alongside ongoing health concerns, Oli now finds himself confronting one of the most difficult periods of his political career.
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