With the return of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari to party politics, UML is becoming increasingly polarized. From the center of the party organization to the district level, two sides have started to be seen. It is seen that the leaders will continue to open up in terms of establishment and stewardship until the legislative convention which will be held in the third week of August.

While UML President KP Sharma Oli is showing his desire to remain in the leadership even from the upcoming convention, former President Bhandari announced on June 14 that she will be active in party politics. One line of the UML is eyeing Bhandari as the future president. Bhandari herself has also expressed her intention to move to the party leadership with her close leaders. That is the reason why polarization is seen among the leaders. 

After Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalnath Khanal and other groups left the UML, Oli has remained as the 'all-powerful' president within the party. After he was elected as the president for the second term from the convention of November 078, dissenting parties were forbidden in UML. There are examples of action taken when differences of opinion with the leadership. By announcing her return to party politics, Bhandari has created a challenge to Oli's 'totalitarian' style. 

In a program organized on June 14 on the occasion of former Secretary General Madan Bhandari's birth anniversary, UML Senior Vice President Ishwar Pokharel openly emphasized that former President Bhandari should enter politics. Prime Minister and UML President Oli were also present as chief guests in the program. Pokharel said that since former President Bhandari is a political person, it is natural for him to be active.

Olinik leaders have been objecting to the return announcement of former president Bhandari. Lately, President Oli has started meeting and discussing with leaders who are dissatisfied with him. A leader who met Oli said, "Oli has said that he and Bhandari will proceed according to the agreement."

Oli, who reached home district Jhapa on Sunday, has commented that the statement that Bhandari will come under the leadership of UML as a 'game of reactionaries'. The wish of those who want a country without UML and UML without KP Oli will not be fulfilled. UML is not a party that carries small interests," he said, "those who weave nets against UML will not succeed. A buffalo never gets caught in a spider's web. We should not follow misleading propaganda against us.'

Permanent committee member Karn Thapa, who is open to Bhandari's support, said that those who have different opinions have been threatened. He also accused the establishment party of trying to stop former president Bhandari from becoming active in the party. "Speaking threatening language to workers across the country saying that those who sing false songs of praise are the President's protectors is against the party's interests and policy." If anyone thinks that the leadership can be misled and be the leader forever, I request them to get rid of such thinking as soon as possible,' he said. "There should be different ideas to be different. It doesn't make a difference if a selfish group is active for some posts,' he said, 'It makes no sense for a group without ideas and policies to be active. If you have a different opinion, you have to keep your words within the law and policy.' 

Central Secretariat has this equation 

Leaders say that in the 19-member central secretariat, there are seven on Oli's side and five on Bhandari's side. According to them, six officials are neutral. Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamazhi is under suspension after a case was filed in the case of fake Bhutanese refugees.

According to an official, the Central Secretariat has President Oli, Vice President Ram Bahadur Thapa, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali and Vishnu Rimal, Secretaries Lekhraj Bhatt and Padmakumari Aryal. Senior Vice President Pokharel, Vice Presidents Yuvraj Gyawali and Surendra Pandey, Secretaries Gokarn Bista and Raghuveer Mahaseth approached Bhandari. 

Vice presidents Ashtalakshmi Shakya, Vishnu Paudel and Guru Baral, secretaries Prithvisubba Gurung, Yogesh Bhattarai and Chavi Lal Vishwakarma are currently in a 'wait and see' situation, said a UML leader. According to him, Vice President Paudel, who is the Minister of Finance, and Secretary Gurung, who is the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, are dissatisfied with Oli's working style, but are neutral. The leader said that Secretary Bhattarai was close to former President Bhandari in the past but is now neutral. 

two sides in the district too

Recently two sides have started to be seen clearly in the district. Before former President Bhandari announced that UML would return to politics, two panels were set up in some district conventions. In it, the other party was told that Bhandari's 'dhap' was there. 

In the Morang district convention held last February, leaders near Bhandari prepared a separate panel under the leadership of Ajamber Rai. The same panel defeated the establishment side. In the Biratnagar Mahanagara Committee, the Bhandari party won. In Morang, Vinod Dhakal is openly in favor of Bhandari. 

Dhakal was unhappy ever since the party leadership nominated Ghanshyam Khatiwada as the president in the state convention. He was defeated in the presidential race. According to Somraj Thapa, secretary of Morang UML, the situation is 50/50 between Oli and Bhandari in Koshi UML. The leaders have not yet opened up but the polarization has already begun. In other districts of Koshi, the leaders, who are dissatisfied with the establishment, are reluctant to open up even though they have started to increase the pressure towards Bhandari 

Thai committee member and Koshi province in-charge Sherdhan Rai is seen as a close associate of Bhandari. When Bhandari visited the eastern region last May, Rai welcomed him at the airport. Rai often accompanied Bhandari on his visits. 

Bara president Adhyanand Pandey is seen in favor of Bhandari in Madhesh province. In other districts, there are leaders on the establishment side. Former Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Dormani Paudel, Politburo member and MP Gokul Baskota are towards Bhandari. Makwanpur district president Sridhar Pokharel, state MP Eklal Shrestha are also close to Bhandari.

After Bhandari retired from the presidency, Baskota invited him to Kavre on Madan Bhandari's birth anniversary last year. From the same program, former President Bhandari indicated that she would return to active politics. 

In Lumbini, seven district presidents of the province are openly in favor of Oli, while five are neutral. No one is open to Bhandari's side. Rolpa president Amrit Budha, Rukum ex-president Leelamani Gautam, Banke president Neerak Gurung, Dang president Shivkumar Acharya, Arghakhanchi president Pitambar Bhusal, Gulmi president Balsingh Kauchha and Nawalparasi West president Dipendra Adhikari are in Oli's side. 

None of the district presidents of Gandaki province have come out in favor of former president Bhandari. Three district presidents appear to be in Oli's favor, other district presidents are neutral. UML secretary Prithvisubba Gurung and standing committee member Khagraj Adhikari have separate groups in Gandaki province. Now the neutral district president is elected from the group supported by Gurung in the convention. 

District presidents of Humla, Mugu, Jumla, Dolpa, Kalikot, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Rukum West, Salyan and Surkhet have not opened their mouths in Karnali. Leaders who have not been given responsibility, who have been 'recruited' from the establishment, are leaning towards the Bhandari camp. Due to the influence of Chief Minister Yamalal Kandel, the UML leaders of Karnali seem to be silent. 

In the Far West, there is an anti-Oli atmosphere. Leaders and activists are angry with Oli because of the action against former vice president Bhim Rawal. Standing committee member Karn Thapa is openly in favor of Bhandari. Kailali President Yagya Dhungana and Bajura President Lal Bahadur Wali are openly in favor of Oli. Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Damodar Bhandari went on a visit to China in the third week of May with former President Bhandari. He is a member of the House of Representatives elected from Baitadi. 

'My responsibility in the UML will be decided by the central committee'

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that her presence in the upcoming convention will be based on the decision made by the UML Central Committee. Even if there is an option to attend the legislative convention as an invited representative or otherwise, she has stated that she is not in favor of this.

In a press conference held by Madan Bhandari Foundation on Tuesday, she mentioned that her presence in the legislative convention to be held in the third week of August depends on the central committee. The representatives of the 10th Congress will participate in the legislative convention. A few have been added. How are newcomers represented? This will be the subject of the central committee's discussion,' she said. It depends on the central committee.

Bhandari said that his role in the party depends on the decision of the central leadership. "It depends on the decision of the Central Committee on what role will be played within the party structure and what responsibility will be given," she said.

Former Secretary General Madan Bhandari had sown the seeds of multi-party democracy for the people, but after his mysterious death, former President Bhandari remarked that he could not implement that principle. Madan Bhandari did not get to proceed with the planting of jabaj as a principle. He died mysteriously,” she said.

Former President Bhandari also mentioned that she was being followed by the Cabinet decision to dissolve Parliament. The talk of 2017 and 2051 keeps coming up. Even when I was the President, Parliament was dissolved twice. Rather than under any pressure, I have implemented what was decided by the Council of Ministers according to the constitutional law,' she said, 'What should have been done at what time can be a matter of discussion.'