- CPN (UML) has reinstated former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s membership, marking her formal return to active mainstream party politics and internal leadership.
- Bhandari is expected to serve as a "balancing guardian" to mitigate growing friction between top leaders Shankar Pokharel and Bishnu Prasad Paudel.
- The move is seen as Chairman KP Oli’s strategic backup to ensure party unity and manage future leadership transitions at the upcoming convention.
- This return sparks moral and constitutional debates regarding the neutrality of the presidential office and its impact on established democratic values.
Kathmandu, Nepal. From the corridors of Balkot to the grassroots cadres, one single question has sent ripples through everyone lately: "Is Bidya Devi Bhandari returning to the mainstream politics of the UML?" Following the CPN (UML)'s decision to reinstate the membership of former President Bhandari, the party's internal politics has reached a new and sensitive turning point. This decision, made during a Central Secretariat meeting at Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Gundu, is not just a scrap of formal paperwork; it marks the beginning of a multifaceted, human strategy woven for the party's future, a play to reclaim old legacy, and an inside look into a shifting political power struggle.
This decision has simultaneously filled the hearts of leaders dreaming of future leadership with both excitement and skepticism. The internal rivalry between General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and Vice-Chairman Bishnu Prasad Paudel over who would steer the UML after Oli was threatening to push the party into deep factional clashes. Cadres were worried that this distance between their beloved leaders might plunge the party back into the vortex of another split. In such a scenario, Bhandari’s presence is expected to serve as a 'balancing guardian' capable of managing the personal egos and ambitions among the leaders. Some have even viewed this as Chairman Oli's own 'backup strategy' to maintain a favorable balance of power should his authority be challenged in the future.
Even while maintaining her distance from the party for some time, Bhandari had not remained silent. The crowds of leaders and cadres visiting her, along with the goodwill shown toward her across various districts, exerted a distinct moral pressure on the establishment faction. Inviting Bhandari as the chief guest amid the emotional atmosphere of the recently concluded Madan-Asprit Memorial Day, followed by the membership decision the very next day, seems to project a deeply human message: to forget past bitterness and misunderstandings and stand together once again. Yet, beneath this pleasant picture, a serious moral and constitutional question touches the hearts of citizens—how will the return of an individual who once held the dignity of the 'Presidency', an institution considered the supreme and neutral custodian for all, back into the confines of a political party affect established democratic values and the spirit of impartiality?
Bhandari's second innings is certain to make the race for the upcoming general convention more complex and intriguing, potentially fostering new forms of collaboration as well as sub-factions among the leaders. The fundamental question now is not about a technical decision, but about the sentiments of the ordinary UML cadres. Will this strategic move bring a strong sense of unity and internal stability within the party, or will it quietly brew a volcano of fresh discontent and friction among the top brass? The answer will ultimately be determined by the mutual trust and course of action the leaders display in the days to come.
