Although not overtly visible, discontent is brewing within the CPN-UML with party chair KP Sharma Oli apparently losing grip even within his own faction, recent developments suggest.

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who is also former vice-chair of the UML, has stepped up her activities in recent months. This has alarmed many UML leaders from the Oli camp. Last week, when Bhandari was in Pokhara for a couple of days, she met scores of UML leaders in the lake city. Such activities are taken as her prelude to rejoining party politics.

Before becoming President, she was Oli’s one of the most trusted leaders in the party, and Oli was the one who promoted Bhandari to the country’s top post in October 2015.

Unhappy with Oli’s activities or feeling excluded from the party chief’s team, some leaders like Gokul Baskota and Karna Thapa, who were among close confidants of Oli, are now distancing themselves from the party chief. They are also reportedly lobbying to bring Bhandari back to party leadership. Thapa has publicly advocated Bhandari's return to active politics.

Dissatisfaction of Baskota, who was earlier taken as a member of Oli’s kitchen cabinet, became public earlier this month when he formed a parallel committee of the party’s student wing in his home district, Kavrepalanchok, challenging the party establishment.

A central secretariat meeting of the UML last week expelled former party vice-chair Bhim Rawal and suspended standing committee member Binda Pandey and central committee member Usha Timilsena.

Notably, Pandey was always with Oli when there were factional divisions in the party on certain issues. After the suspension, Pandey has publicly claimed she was suspended with Oli’s direct intervention. She had recently criticised the party chair’s decision to accept a tract of pricey land as donation from a controversial businessman to build the party office.

According to multiple party leaders, several dissatisfied leaders have approached Bhandari and urged her to rejoin active politics with a plan to take over the UML leadership.

“Many party leaders have reached out to Bhandari after feeling alienated by party chair Oli,” a UML leader said. “These leaders have been urging Bhandari to rejoin politics as she still has time to be politically productive.”

Sarita Neupane, a UML central committee member, agrees. Given her age, 63, she could still participate in politics, Neupane said.

“Her active participation could benefit the party,” Neupane told the Post.

Former lawmaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Rai, who is also close to Bhandari, says it all depends on former President Bhandari whether to resume active politics.

Some leaders close to Oli say those who are unhappy with the party chief

have been fuelling her ambitions, promising to help her be party chief. “These promises from some leaders have boosted Bhandari’s aspirations,” a leader close to Oli said.

Vice-chair Bishnu Paudel; deputy general secretary Prithvi Subba Gurung; politburo members Gokul Baskota, Karna Thapa, Krishna Bahadur Rai; and central committee member Sarita Neupane are among those urging Bhandari to rejoin active politics, according to UML insiders.

But in public vice-chair Paudel reiterates that Oli will be the chair at least one more time.

Bishal Bhattarai, a UML politburo member, argues that visiting the residence of former President Bhandari or meeting her alone should not be construed as political maneuvering. “I, too, have gone to meet her quite a few times,” Bhattarai said.

Many reckon vice-chair Paudel is not comfortable with growing chances of Shankar Pokharel, the party general secretary, leading the party after Oli. “This is why Paudel is keeping his options open,” said a leader from the Oli faction.

But another leader dismisses such claims. In the party hierarchy, Paudel is senior to Pokharel and so there is no reason for Paudel to be uncomfortable with Pokharel, the leader claimed.

Bishnu Rijal, a central committee member, rubbishes the claim that party members are unhappy with the current leadership. “The party is not thinking beyond Chair Oli for a few more years,” Rijal said.

The issue of Bhandari returning to active politics was discussed during the two-day workshop held on December 14-15 at the party central office at Chaysal, Lalitpur.

Neupane said that Oli at the event appeared positive about a possible return of the former President to active politics. “The party chair had said that if the former president rejoined active politics, it would create a positive environment in the party.”

Another party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Bhandari would not return to party politics in a way that she has to engage in a direct tussle with the party chair.

There is a section of leaders who blame both Bhandari and Oli of causing damage to the UML during their terms as President and prime minister. “Prime Minister Oli dissolved the House of Representatives twice, and President Bhandari approved it promptly, which is a clear example of their failed leadership,” the anonymous party leader said.

On December 20, 2020, and May 21, 2021, Oli twice dissolved the Parliament, which President Bhandari approved.

According to an aide, Bhandari has recently renewed her UML membership.

Some leaders said factional rivalry between vice-chair Paudel and general secretary Pokhrel made them think about Bhandari as Oli’s successor as she can be a leader acceptable to both sides.

There have been instances that when the party general secretary appeared close to Oli, vice-chair Paudel supported President Bhandari, hinting at factionalism within the party.

In UML provincial conventions earlier this year when Oli backed Pokhrel, Bhandari reportedly sided with Paudel.

Rai, who is close to Bhandari, also acknowledges factional activities in the party. “Perhaps party members do not accept either Paudel or Pokhrel,” he says.

“In such a condition the party should have a leader who would be accepted to all,” Rai said. “For that, Bhandari could be an option.”