KATHMANDU, Sept 25: Nepal’s second President, Bidya Devi Bhandari, has returned to active party politics, rejoining the CPN-UML in a move that could alter the party’s internal equations and fuel fresh debate over the possibility of broader Left unity.
After leaving Sheetal Niwas, Bhandari had been seeking a return to active politics within the UML. However, she failed to renew her party membership amid a lack of support from party Chair KP Sharma Oli. On Thursday, the UML Central Committee (CC) designated her as a senior leader, formally opening the way for her return to active politics.
Although the UML statute does not provide for the position of senior leader, the CC created the position for Bhandari and brought her back into active party politics.
Following the promulgation of the Constitution on September 20, 2015, presidential elections were held in November that year. After being elected president, Bhandari formally relinquished her UML membership.
Bhandari served as president until March 2023. During her presidency, she also faced allegations of acting in the interests of the UML and its Chair Oli. She was first elected president on February 23, 2015, and was re-elected for a second term on March 5, 2018. She left Sheetal Niwas on March 13, 2023.
Her departure from the presidency, however, did not end her political relevance. Tensions reportedly emerged between Bhandari and Oli as she sought to return to party politics and was seen as eyeing the party’s top leadership.
As internal equations within the UML began to shift, leaders opposed to Oli had prepared to propose Bhandari for party chair at the party’s general convention held last year. According to UML leaders, Oli, who viewed Bhandari’s return to active politics as a threat to his position, had blocked the renewal of her party membership.
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Oli is now said to have become more receptive to Bhandari’s return amid changing equations within the party and shifts in the national and international environment.
Bhandari’s elevation as senior leader has also sparked discussion within the party about whether she could eventually take charge of the UML after Oli. Some leaders believe her return could also reshape the leadership competition between Vice Chairman Bishnu Prasad Paudel and General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel. Paudel and Pokhrel have appeared to grow closer in recent months.
Following the Gen Z uprising in September 2025, traditional political parties, including the UML, have been pushed to the margins of power, according to party leaders. Against this backdrop, discussions on Left unity have gained momentum, with second-rung leaders moving beyond discussion and beginning initiatives toward unity. Senior leaders, meanwhile, have said they are waiting for an honorable exit from active politics.
Some leaders argue that Bhandari could be projected as executive chair if Left parties, including the UML and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), were to merge. Under such an arrangement, Bhandari could serve as executive chair, while UML Chair Oli, NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Co-coordinator Madhav Kumar Nepal and leader Jhalanath Khanal could be given the status of senior leaders and retain advisory or guardian roles.
Claiming that leaders from both the first and second tiers are positive about such an arrangement, a leader said, “Bhandari is the most suitable option and person for Left unity and leadership transition.”
It was against this backdrop that the UML CC endorsed Oli’s proposal to designate Bhandari as a senior leader.
Earlier, on July 22, 2025, the UML Central Committee had decided not to renew Bhandari’s party membership and effectively bar her from returning to active politics. Oli had argued at the time that her party membership had automatically become inactive after she assumed the constitutional position above party politics, and that renewing it would not be appropriate for preserving the dignity of a former president and strengthening the democratic system.
Demands to restore Bhandari’s party membership were also raised during the UML’s statute convention. The statute convention held in September 2025 maintained the CC’s earlier decision.
After her party membership was not renewed, Bhandari backed senior Vice Chairman Ishwar Pokharel to challenge Oli for the party leadership at the 11th General Convention. On May 18 this year, however, Oli agreed to grant Bhandari party membership. The UML Secretariat subsequently decided to provide her with party membership.
Meanwhile, the UML meeting expressed serious dissatisfaction with the performance of the current government and demanded the formation of a competent judicial commission to conduct an impartial investigation into the incidents that occurred during the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9 last year.
Describing the arrest of party Chair Oli after the formation of a government led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party as “political retaliation,” the meeting also condemned the arrest of Vice Chairman Paudel.
The UML said the displacement of squatters through the use of bulldozers soon after the government was formed was against constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights and humanity.
The meeting said the government should take responsibility for failing to properly manage and resettle those displaced.
The UML also expressed sorrow over the human and physical losses caused by the devastating Bhotekoshi floods and questioned the government’s rescue and relief efforts. It called for accelerated rescue, relief and reconstruction efforts.
The UML concluded that the government’s role had been not only disorganized and ineffective but, in some cases, irresponsible. It accused the federal government of failing to coordinate with provincial and local governments, rejecting cooperation with political parties and failing to provide reassurance and confidence to flood victims.
The party also called for priority-based rehabilitation of children, pregnant women, postpartum women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities displaced by the floods. It demanded immediate repairs to damaged bridges and roads and called for reconstruction based on scientific studies.
While not ruling out the possibility of amending the Constitution, the UML said any attempt to amend it with the intention of weakening its fundamental structure would not be acceptable. The party maintained that the Constitution is a dynamic document and can be amended in line with changing needs and circumstances when there is sufficient necessity and justification.
The meeting said ordinary citizens are facing the burden of rising prices, shortages of cooking gas and increasing taxes. It accused the government of failing to show sensitivity to citizens’ problems, saying rising cases of self-immolation and suicide, as well as the increasing migration of young people for foreign employment, were contributing to growing social frustration.
The meeting also expressed concern over the government’s role regarding national interests, border-related issues and the protection of natural resources. Claiming that activities affecting the sensitivities of neighboring countries had increased mistrust, the UML urged the government to remain vigilant in protecting national interests and sovereignty.
The meeting decided to formulate a concrete plan for reorganization and strengthening of the party while consolidating internal unity. Saying that it had prepared a roadmap for reform and transformation after reviewing past weaknesses, the UML urged its leaders and cadres to implement it seriously.
