UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has said that ideological restructuring within the party is essential. Admitting the party’s internal weaknesses, he emphasized the need for ideological restructuring and for the party to become more youth- and people-oriented.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Mission Party Awareness Campaign organized by the Lumbini Province Committee on Sunday in Chandranouta, Kapilvastu, General Secretary Pokharel also acknowledged both the party’s and his own personal shortcomings. Party members had previously criticized General Secretary Pokharel for being a leader who fiercely defended the leadership and did not admit his own weaknesses. However, at Sunday’s event, he openly engaged in self-criticism with the party members.

“It is our own weaknesses that have led to this situation. We had received some information about where the weaknesses were, but we could not resolve them in time,” he said. “Now, ideological restructuring is necessary. There is no need to hesitate to say that this situation arose due to internal weaknesses. This is the greatest defeat in party life. There is extreme disappointment among the members.”

General Secretary Pokharel said he was ready to make open decisions for the sentiments of the members and the broader interests of the party. He argued that due to false narratives spread on social media, only negative publicity about the good work done by the UML had increased. “The groups we targeted in our politics are no longer with us; they did not trust us. The landless did not trust us. The working class abroad is also no longer with us. The foundation for strengthening the party has collapsed. The leadership of the oppressed classes was taken over by YouTubers,” he said. “Students are no longer with us. Farmers, who nurtured the party through their movements, did not trust us. When our party was in power, there was no belief that justice would be served. Teachers used to organize in villages, but even they did not trust us. Therefore, now, instead of following someone else’s instructions, we must make our own plans and act accordingly.”

He remarked that although it was known after the local elections that urbanites, new youth, those living abroad, and squatters had distanced themselves from the party, the party failed because it could not understand this and formulate plans accordingly. He said that even though the Mission Grassroots campaign was launched, the party failed to fulfill its commitments, causing young people to drift away. “We tried to become stronger through the government, but we could not understand class struggle; we kept searching for good CDOs and officials. Instead of going among the people, we made it so that people had to come to us,” he said. “This approach was wrong. We became power-oriented, not people-oriented, and that is why we failed.”