Bidya's Entry Creates Ripples In UML

Former president Bidya Devi Bhandari’s re-entry into the CPN-UML has dropped a bombshell in the party, giving sleepless nights to its establishment which is not ready to welcome her. Two weeks ago, Bhandari, the spouse of late Madan Bhandari, announced that she had renewed her party membership to join the UML. In an interview with a television channel recently, she hinted she wanted to be the next chair of the party in consensus from its upcoming general convention. Her decision to rejoin her former party not only created ripples within it but also in other political parties, potentially shifting the domestic political equation.

With her entry into the UML, the debate over whether or not a former president should re-enter party politics has also gradually petered out. There was a vigorous discussion on her involvement in various UML activities. Many thought Bhandari would be better off refraining from partisan politics, given that she had already held the highest constitutional position of the state twice. A person of her stature should not be engaged in the UML as this would erode her prestige and set a wrong constitutional practice. But this line of argument has taken a backseat now. It seems her admission into the party’s rank and file has been well accepted.

Warnings 

She decided to be a new UML leader despite repeated warnings from the current chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. PM Oli and party general secretary Shankar Pokharel dislike the idea of Bhandari donning the UML's mantle, which is unexpected and shocking for the establishment. Although Bhandari does not possess charisma and calibre like her husband, her entry will mark a big event in the party’s history, filled with many twists and turns. Evolving circumstances and internal dynamics of the party catapulted her into the UML’s fold again. 

A few years back, the UML suffered vertical splits, severely hitting its support base. With the departure of heavyweights such as Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Bamdev Gautam and Bhim Rawal, no leader posed a formidable challenge to Oli’s leadership. He had publicly announced that he would lead the party for around two decades. Despite some murmurs of protest, no leader can dare to challenge Oli. But Bhandari's entry is likely to upset the present power equation of the party. The impact has already been felt - an intense internal polarisation has taken place, with party secretariat members showing their allegiance either to Oli or Bidya.   

Now, Bhandari has presented herself as a viable alternative to chairman Oli, making the UML politics more dramatic and sensational. She appears to be emboldened when it comes to demanding the need for new leadership in the UML. Incumbent chair Oli wants to lead the party for the third consecutive term, but Bhandari expects Oli will hand over leadership to her. In a clear indication that she is poised to take the reins of party chair, she says, “One person cannot always discharge party responsibility. Democratic exercise is underway in the party, so new leadership is necessary.” She expects that Oli himself will offer her to become the party chair. If not, she will throw her hat into the ring. 

Upon becoming the party head for two times, Oli has held his tight grip on its structures from the centre to the grassroots. Barring some exceptions, second rung leaders and functionaries hesitate to criticise the party leadership for fear of disciplinary action. However, in recent times, incidents of defiance against the instructions of the chair have been seen in the elections of different layers of the party’s bodies. Many provincial and district committees have picked new leadership through elections against the wishes of the chair, who wants to choose new leaders based on consensus.  

Nonetheless, Bhandari has a bumpy road ahead. She will face her first political test in the party's upcoming statute convention slated for early September this year. As per the statute, she cannot participate in the national conference, though she had renewed her party membership one year ago. Only those who attended the party's 10th convention can participate in it. There is also no provision for nominating delegates for the statute convention either. To ensure her attendance at the convention, the UML central committee should take a special decision. For this, chair Oli and general secretary Shankar Pokharel should be ready, which now appears impossible.  

Statute convention 

The statute convention is going to be tricky, for it has to deal with two contentious issues – the age limit and the two-term policy. The UML's 9th convention adopted a 70-year limit for leaders to assume any executive positions within the party, but in 2023, the provision was removed to enable the septuagenarian leaders to hold the highest party posts again. Bhandari wants to enforce both the age limit and the two-term policy to clear the deck for her ascendancy in the party. Chairman Oli, 73, will be ineligible to vie for the party head if either of the two provisions comes into effect. For almost a decade, Bhandari has been out of party politics. When Bhandari herself is not allowed in the convention, how can she flex her political muscles to achieve her goal?  

Along with Bhandari's claim for the top party post, a new narrative is taking shape - the UML's splinter group, CPN-Unified Socialist, will reunite with the parent party and a broader left alliance will be formed. It will be premature to predict such development but many think, with Bhandari at the UML, the latter's relations with the Unified Socialist will be smooth. This has been suggested by none other than the Unified Socialist respected leader and former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal. Stating that this development is 'positive', Khanal says, "Her entry into politics can only be relevant if she will give the right direction to the UML and take the communist movement to peak by unifying it."

(The author is Deputy Executive Editor of this daily.)