KATHMANDU: Amid rising speculation that former President Bidya Devi Bhandari may return to active politics through the CPN-UML, internal debate and tension have escalated within the party, particularly among senior leaders close to party chair KP Sharma Oli.
While discussions about Bhandari’s potential political comeback are reportedly gaining traction in Oli’s inner circle, several influential leaders, including General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, have expressed reservations, saying her return at this time may not be appropriate.
The issue has led to heated exchanges between party members operating from the UML’s central office in Chyasal and others who are more loosely aligned with the leadership. The rift became visible during a meeting of the party’s Organizational Coordination Mechanism on Thursday.
At the meeting, General Secretary Pokharel directed members not to engage in leadership-related debates until the party’s next statute convention. Similarly, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, who coordinates the mechanism, warned that anyone acting against the party’s formal decisions could face internal disciplinary action.
“Those defying party positions may be put on notice,” he said.
In response to the rising tensions, UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai urged both sides to exercise restraint.
“Let us stop this pattern of challenging each other from inside and outside Chyasal,” he said, calling for dialogue and cooperation to resolve internal differences. “Let’s seek solutions through mutual understanding. That is the essence of people’s multiparty democracy.”
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