Pokhara, 13 February | Former President and former Vice-Chairperson of CPN-UML, Vidya Devi Bhandari, has maintained a strategic silence following the party’s 11th National Convention, raising significant questions about her political future. After her preferred candidate, Ishwar Pokhrel, suffered a heavy defeat against incumbent Chairman KP Sharma Oli during the convention held from December 12 to 18, Bhandari has largely withdrawn from the public eye. While Oli secured a dominant 1,663 votes, Pokhrel managed only 563, a result that signaled a drastic shift in the internal power dynamics of the party. Currently residing in Baluwatar after her residence was attacked during the Gen-Z movement in September, Bhandari is reportedly focusing on research and writing, away from the heated electoral rallies.
The core of the dispute lies in Chairman Oli’s refusal to renew Bhandari’s party membership, effectively blocking her from contesting the upcoming House of Representatives election. Bhandari had initially prepared to run from Morang’s constituencies 2, 3, or 4, but encountered a calculated ‘break’ from the party leadership. Oli-aligned leaders have publicly criticized her silence, arguing that a true leader must stand with the party during times of crisis rather than retreating to a “sanctum.” Some have even suggested that her absence stems from a desire to see the party face setbacks in the national polls as a form of political retaliation for her exclusion.
The collapse of Bhandari’s faction was accelerated when her long-term allies, including Bishnu Paudel, Sherdhan Rai, and Prithvi Subba Gurung, switched sides to support Oli. Bishnu Paudel, who eyes the chairmanship in the 12th convention, reportedly chose to block Ishwar Pokhrel’s rise by siding with Oli, which ultimately weakened the Bhandari-led group. Despite efforts by the Pokhrel camp to secure her membership renewal before the convention, Oli remained steadfast. Vice-Chairman Prithvi Subba Gurung recently stated that Bhandari’s membership is currently not a priority agenda as the party is entirely focused on election mobilization, further isolating the former President from active party affairs.
This political friction has also extended to Bhandari’s family, particularly her daughter Ushakiran Bhandari, who is active in the Madan Bhandari Foundation. Although Oli once considered Ushakiran for a National Assembly seat, those plans were shelved once Vidya Bhandari’s aspirations for a return to mainstream politics became evident. Ushakiran is currently focused on the foundation and has not yet decided whether to campaign for UML candidates. As the election date of March 5 nears, sources close to Bhandari suggest she might issue a social media appeal for votes at the last moment, but she is unlikely to appear physically at rallies. The ongoing tug-of-war between the legacy of Madan Bhandari and the current leadership continues to define the internal struggles of Nepal’s largest communist party.
