The sharpening factional rivalry within the party´s youth wing, Youth Federation of Nepal (YFN), has reached boiling point. So much so that different factional groups have been running parallel activities. While one faction is led by YFN Chairman Mahesh Basnet, another group is led by its vice-chairman, Jhapat Rawal.[break]
Party Chairman Khanal issued a circular to YFN and the leaders concerned, instructing them to withhold all events until the factional rivalries are sorted out. He had to intervene in the affairs of the youth wings as the factions were running parallel activities. While Basnet called a central committee meeting of the organization in Biratnagar for Thursday, Rawal planned a gathering of dissidents in Kathmandu on the same day.
Basnet convened his organization´s scheduled meeting in Biratnagar in defiance of the party chairman´s circular. But the Rawal group cancelled their gathering as per the party instructions.
Basnet, who is trusted by KP Oli, was reelected as YFN chief a few months ago, defeating Neeraj Acharya. While Acharya was backed by Khanal, another party leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, backed Rawal.
Following a deal between Nepal and Oli, Rawal agreed to support Basnet, and vie for the post of vice-chairman.
Khanal had to issue a similar circular a few months ago also when two rival factions within the party´s student wing ran parallel activities. Similar was the case at that time also. While the faction close to Khanal cancelled a scheduled gathering, Madhav Dhungel, chief of the student wing who is close to Oli, did not.
Party leaders say rivalries in the youth, student and various other sister wings are reflections of factional rivalries in the party.
But in the last couple of weeks, the factional alignments in the party have changed as the Khanal and Nepal groups have joined hands against Oli.
The Khanal and Nepal groups have lately convened several joint events in the capital. The new alliance has been so evident that Basnet would invite Oli to every function as chief guest while the Rawal faction would invite either Khanal or Nepal as chief guest at their events.
Party leaders said the new alliance was forged under a plan to elect Nepal as party chairman against the other possible candidate, Oli.
What triggered Khanal-Nepal alliance against Oli
Leaders close to Nepal believe that “Oli´s tendency to shelter hooligans and criminals within the party organization” is the major factor irking Nepal.
A large section of the party rank and file from the central to local levels accuses Oli of promoting a culture of sheltering hooligans in the party organization.
UML Central Committee member Jagannath Khatiwada was one of the key leaders to persuade Nepal and Oli to come together against Khanal´s candidate Acharya during the YFN election.
He said that various activities and decisions on the part of YFN chief Basnet compelled them to rethink the Nepal faction´s alliance with the Oli faction.
“After Mahesh won the election, he took several decisions that were motivated by a wish to sideline other members and run the organization through his [Mahesh Basnet´s] own core group,” Khatiwada told Republica.
The Nepal faction decided to lean toward the Khanal group as they construed that Basnet was instructed by Oli to sideline opponents in a plot to weaken the Nepal faction. “It was done because Oli always took Nepal, not Khanal, as his rival in the long run,” said a leader requesting anonymity. Leaders from the Nepal faction admit that they decided to ally with the Khanal group as they saw some ominous indications of Oli´s likely domination of the party.
“A large section of the party rank and file has already become victims of domination by Oli and Banset. What will happen if Oli becomes party chairman?” said a leader.
However, some leaders question the permanence of the Khanal-Nepal alliance. “If we go by past records, we don´t find any consistency in their [Khanal faction leaders´] policy and stance. Also, their alliance isn´t value-based,” said party Spokesman Pradeep Gyawali.
A leader close to Oli claimed that it was immediately after Khanal´s victory as party chief that the Khanal faction had tried to run the party on their own, bypassing the other groups. “Khanal then forged an alliance with the UCPN (Maoist) while Oli and Nepal were against that move. It didn´t work for long. Khanal´s team then proposed to ally with Oli while bypassing Nepal and Ishwar Pokharel. And now they plan an alliance with Nepal against Oli and Pokharel,” said a leader. “So this plan is not going to last either.”
Oli supporters have described the latest move by Nepal as a betrayal of KP. “It was KP, not Khanal, who gave strong support to Nepal during the latter´s stint as prime minister when he was under immense pressure from the UCPN (Maoist),” said a leader. At the time, the Khanal faction had planned to replace Nepal with their own party chairman, Khanal.
Ishwar Pokharel factor
If the Khanal-Nepal alliance lasts until the next general convention, it is likely to command a majority in the party because another key leader, Bamdev Gautam, among other leaders, will remain with Khanal.
With the new development, Oli has tried to garner support from party General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel.
Pokharel is yet to make his position clear. As Nepal selected Pokharel to accompany him during his recent India visit, some construed the development as an indication of warm relations between the two leaders. But Pokharel´s participation in the YFN meeting on Friday encouraged the Oli faction.
Related news
Related story
Put Nation Before Factional Games
