KATHMANDU, Nov 30: Power dynamics inside the CPN-UML shifted sharply on Saturday as Vice-Chair Bishnu Poudel and Deputy General Secretary Prithvi Subba Gurung abandoned their long-held neutrality and declared support for Party Chair KP Sharma Oli.
The declaration came on the day the party held a meeting to select nearly 1,200 representatives for next month’s General Convention.
Poudel and Gurung were until now seen maintaining parallel distance with both Oli and senior vice-chair Ishwar Pokhrel, who is challenging Oli for party chairmanship.
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Their last-minute declaration is expected to “maintain unity” and prevent deeper polarization during delegate selection, which will shape the balance of power at the General Convention.
However, their open support for Oli has strengthened the chairman’s hold in Lumbini and Gandaki provinces, where Poudel and Gurung have strong influence.
Party insiders say that local leaders, who had refrained from openly aligning themselves due to the duo’s neutrality, are now expected to fall in line. The shift is also interpreted as a strategic bid to negotiate the influential post of General Secretary inside the party, a position both men are reportedly eyeing.
Gurung has privately conveyed that if he is not chosen for the role, he will support Pokharel—a pact aimed at reinforcing their collective leverage within the establishment camp.
Even so, Pokhrel’s faction still remains a formidable contender backed by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari. Pokhrel has built strong geographic support and has emerged as a serious challenger to Oli—who is seeking a rare third term as party chair after the September statute convention cleared the path for another term.
Pokhrel has framed his campaign around internal reforms, advocating the reinstatement of term limits and urging Oli to play a “guardian role” in facilitating leadership transition.
The announcement by Poudel and Gurung also places additional pressure on the remaining Secretariat members—Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’, Lekhraj Bhatta, Raghubir Mahaseth, Padma Aryal, and Chhabilal Bishwakarma—who did not reveal their positions on Saturday.
Despite the establishment camp’s newfound momentum, insiders acknowledge that Pokhrel remains strong in several key regions, and districts are set for a “neck-to-neck” battle between the two camps. With the representatives’ list shaping the outcome of the December 13–15 National General Convention, Saturday’s selection is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent UML history.
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