CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli has taken direct control of the party’s central committee meeting as an increasingly contentious debate over its leadership and organisational direction comes to a head.

Oli opened Monday’s meeting himself at a party venue in Lalitpur and remained in charge of proceedings from the start. 

At previous central committee meetings, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel would usually conduct the proceedings, with Oli stepping out occasionally during the session.

The change comes as senior UML leaders continue to debate whether the party needs organisational and leadership changes following its poor showing in the March 5 election. Several senior leaders have called for reforms, while Oli has rejected the idea that restructuring should be equated with replacing the party chair.

Oli’s decision to take charge of the meeting is being viewed within the party as an attempt to retain control over a debate that could affect his position.

“Chairman Oli has sensed the threat this time. That is why he is conducting the meeting himself,” a UML office-bearer said.

The party’s election review and reorganisation task force had produced competing proposals over the leadership question. A report prepared by General Secretary Pokhrel had called for the top leadership to take responsibility for the party’s electoral setback and make way for leadership change, while Vice-chair Ram Bahadur Thapa prepared a separate report defending Oli. The two positions were later brought together in a consolidated report, but the question of leadership change was left for discussion by the central committee.

Oli has rejected calls for him to step down. Presenting his political report on Monday, he argued that replacing the leadership alone could not be described as party reorganisation and said the issue needed to be considered in the broader context of the party’s condition and political circumstances.

Rather than prioritising leadership restructuring, Oli has pushed for the formation of the party’s standing committee and politburo, which have yet to be formed following the UML’s 11th general convention in December 2025.

The central committee meeting has also been asked to consider forming party departments and other organisational bodies.

The dispute has also exposed differences over whether the party should convene a National General Convention Representative Council to discuss its political and organisational direction. The reorganisation task force agreed to remove the leadership-change proposal from its consolidated report, while retaining suggestions gathered from provincial and other party bodies for discussion.

On Tuesday, General Secretary Pokhrel said differences over party policy and leadership should not be interpreted as opposition to the party leadership. He argued that suggestions collected from across the country should be considered as part of efforts to rebuild the party and strengthen internal unity.

The issue of Oli’s working style also came up at the meeting. Central Committee member Karna Thapa objected to what he described as excessive control by the chair and said the committee should operate according to the party’s rules and procedures. Although Oli did not initially give him time to speak, Thapa went ahead with his remarks.

Oli has also restricted the use of mobile phones during the meeting and has been personally allocating speaking time to Central Committee members.

The leadership dispute intensified after the UML’s poor showing in the March 5 election. The party subsequently held consultations across its provincial and organisational structures to assess the defeat and consider changes to its policies, organisation and leadership.

For now, the leadership question remains unresolved. The three-day central committee meeting is expected to determine how the party will respond to the calls for organisational change while Oli seeks to retain his authority as chair.

The 19-member UML office-bearer team is divided over the leadership question. Vice-chair Ram Bahadur Thapa and secretaries Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Mahesh Basnet and Sherdhan Rai are backing Oli. 

Vice-chairs Bishnu Paudel, Prithvi Subba Gurung, Gokarna Bista and Raghuji Pant, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, Deputy General Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai, and secretaries Khagaraj Adhikari, Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Yamlal Kandel, Rajan Bhattarai and Hikmat Kumar Karki are in favour of leadership restructuring. 

Deputy general secretaries Raghubir Mahaseth and Lekhraj Bhatta, and secretary Padma Aryal have maintained a neutral position.