Oli’s desperate bid to stall Bidhya Bhandari’s return to the Party

Kathmandu-  The Nepali Congress, biggest Party in Parliament and the Government coalition has come to aid of K P Sharma Oli,  Prime Minister and Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, to stall former President Bidhya Bhandari’s return to active Politics.

The NC that remained silent when Nanda Kishore Pun, vice President of the Republic when Bhandari was the President between 2016 and 2023, took a stance against Bhandari’s move.

NC Chief Sher Bahadur Deuba, during his interaction with the former central office bearers of the Party, spoke against Bhandari’s move and asked the UML to take a clear position on the issue. Five of the seven former office bearers wo had met yesterday conveyed their concern to Deuba today and he endorsed our concern that a former President should not be seen as compromising with the dignity of the office of the Head of the state.’ Gopal Man Shrestha, a senior leader and former Vice President of the Party said.

Deuba’s message had a visible effect in the ongoing CC meeting at Party Headquarter in Chyasal today where members , obviously fielded by Oli, spoke more aggressively than during the past three days, against Bhadari’s move. “A former President who ex-officio served as the Supreme commander of the Nepal Army , joining the Party politics will go against the spirit of the constitution and it must be stopped,’ Rajendra Gautam, Chief of UML’s publicity department said in the meeting.

Sources in the UML said Oli is now preparing to have a resolution passed in the line Gautam advocated today , provided the number supported it.

Bhandari, on other hand , called a select group of journalists at her residence and alleged  that the UML leadership was trying to make it a one sided affair, and she is not going to take it lying low.