If it had taken place as announced, the CPN-UML’s central committee meeting would have been held on Friday. The meeting was called to endorse the statute draft to be presented at the Second Statute Convention, to be held at Godavari, Lalitpur, from September 5 to 7.

However, the central committee meeting was postponed at the last hour.

While leaders from the party establishment side cited a lack of time for the postponement, those from the faction led by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari claimed that the leadership cancelled the meeting after realising that leaders close to Bhandari were prepared to present a parallel document challenging the official one in the central committee meeting.

UML chair KP Sharma Oli, who was running the party enjoying absolute power since he was elected party chair second time from Chitwan convention in November 2021, has felt pressure after Bhandari, who is also former vice-chair of the party, announced to rejoin the UML clearly expressing her ambition to become the party chief.

As the UML’s second Statute Convention draws closer, rifts within the party have become more evident. The dispute between Prime Minister and UML chair Oli, and former President Bhandari has escalated.

Bhandari, attempting to return to active politics, is facing strong resistance from Oli. A UML Central Committee meeting in July decided not to renew her party membership, so as to bar her from re-entering active politics. But Bhandari appears determined to defy the restriction. She has continued parallel activities through the Madan Bhandari Foundation, named after her late husband and UML general secretary, while also travelling to different districts and provinces to meet with party supporters.

As part of this effort, Bhandari has embarked on a three-day visit to Madhesh Province starting Saturday. On her first day, she attended an entrepreneurs’ convention in Birgunj.

On Sunday, she is scheduled to attend a programme of the Madan Bhandari Foundation in Bara. During her stay in Madhesh, Bhandari has planned meetings with UML leaders and cadres and intends to listen to them.

Her aide, Raj Kumar Rai, described such interactions as natural for a politician.

“She has always been part of the UML politics. Party leaders and cadres request meetings whenever she travels, and declining would be inappropriate,” he said.

However, party chair Oli has often questioned Bhandari’s tour of different parts of the country. Bhandari has visited the Koshi, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces to gauge the mood of the party’s lowest-rung workers.

Analysts view the timing of her Madhesh tour, so close to the Statute Convention, as politically significant.

Leaders close to Bhandari claimed that the establishment faction postponed the central committee meeting indefinitely because of her activities.

“Party chair Oli is trying to run the party arbitrarily. This is not how the party functions,” said Karna Thapa, a standing committee member of the party, indicating the postponement of the Central Committee meeting. “If not in the central committee, we will present our opinions in the statute convention.”

According to a leader familiar with the developments, Bhandari, during an interaction with UML cadres at her residence on August 28, criticised the leaders for the way the party functions.

“Postponing the meeting to avoid dissent is against the principle of People’s Multiparty Democracy. I will not back down from fighting against the growing authoritarian and undemocratic tendencies within the UML,” a leader, requesting anonymity, quoted Bhandari as telling them.

Bhandari added that she would press her case at the Statute Convention or, if necessary, at the 11th general convention as well.

However, Rajendra Gautam, chief of the UML publicity department, insisted that there was no political motive behind the postponement of the central committee meeting.

According to him, the leadership needed more time to integrate the written suggestions received from lower committees on the statute amendment draft. He said all the preparation for the statute convention has been over.

He also noted that the prime minister’s address in Parliament clashed with the planned meeting of the party. Prime Minister Oli addressed Parliament on Friday to brief the House on his China visit.

Gautam said the meeting could now occur on September 4 or 5, once Oli returns from his five-day China visit. However, Gautam argued that the central committee meeting itself is not necessary to endorse the suggestions from the lower committee.

Before going to the Second National Statute Convention, the UML has collected suggestions from the party’s lower committees on the central committee’s recent decisions.

In July, the party’s central secretariat, politburo, and central committee decided to scrap the 70-year age and two-term limits for leadership positions. The meeting also decided that the former President, Bhandari, should not return to active politics.

The party had called the central committee meeting to endorse the suggestions gathered from the lower committees before presenting them at the statute convention.

However, Bhandari and leaders close to her criticised the decisions publicly.

At the previous Central Committee meeting, leader Karna Thapa formally expressed dissent. The party’s senior vice-chair, Ishwar Pokhrel, and vice-chairs Yubaraj Gyawali and Surendra Pandey have stood in favour of Bhandari.

Party leaders said senior Vice-chair Pokhrel is preparing an alternative document to present at the statute convention. “If submitted, issues raised in the parallel document must be addressed,” a central committee member explained.

Pokhrel, talking to the Post, also said that the statute convention is a place where ideological issues are discussed. He did not deny the possibility of an alternative document.

“Let the statute convention begin first,” Pokhrel said.

This growing tussle between Oli and Bhandari could potentially turn the upcoming policy convention into a showdown. Whether dissenting voices will be accommodated or suppressed determines not only the party’s internal democracy but also its unity in the months ahead, UML leaders say.

However, leaders close to Oli tried to downplay the issue, saying that Bhandari is not even a UML member at the moment. Standing Committee member Khagaraj Adhikari said that someone who enjoys the honour of being a symbol of national unity as a former President should not re-enter politics as a mere party cadre.

Adhikari said the party has decided that Bhandari must remain a respected person as a guardian of the republic.

Arguing that it was inappropriate for Senior Vice-chair Pokhrel to challenge the party’s decision, Adhikari urged Pokhrel not to engage in activities against the party's decisions.

“Why should he challenge the party’s decision? Not accepting the party decision amounts to anti-party activity,” Adhikari said. “We request Senior Vice-Chair Pokhrel to refrain from engaging in such activities.”