KATHMANDU, Dec 23: It is speculated that former President Bidya Bhandari and former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun are becoming active in party politics. While rumors suggest that Bhandari, who served two terms as President from the CPN-UML, will return to politics, the Maoist Center has already begun preparations to nominate former Vice President Pun as its candidate for Vice President.
By involving Pun in party politics, the Maoist Center is paving the way to promote former President Bhandari in UML politics in a manner that will make her active. "By making Pun active in politics, the Maoists are creating an environment for Bidya Bhandari to enter politics again," said a UML vice chairman.
The Maoist office bearers' meeting has already decided to make Pun the vice chairman. To this end, the meeting formed a task force, led by Senior Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha, General Secretary Dev Prasad Gurung, and Deputy General Secretaries Barsaman Pun and Janardan Sharma, to amend the statute. Maoist leaders claim that Pun will be nominated as the vice-chairman once the revised statute is passed in the upcoming central committee meeting.
Few days ago, on December 15, Prime Minister and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli urged party members not to involve the former president too much in politics. He said that since the party itself had made Bhandari the president, there was no need to keep raising the issue, suggesting she could join the party if necessary. However, Bhandari herself has not publicly stated whether or not she plans to reenter politics.
“After she showed interest in being active in politics, a debate has started within the UML ranks about her role and how to manage it effectively. The discussion is focused solely on how to make her active in the party," said the vice-chairman. According to him, it would be easier for the UML if the Maoists make Pun the vice-chairman. "The Maoists and other small left-wing parties are also discussing unification with the UML by making Pun the vice-chairman, which is an emotional move to bring Bhandari back to the UML," the vice-chairman added.
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UML Standing Committee member Karna Thapa opined that politics is determined by necessity, and the party ranks would consider former President Bhandari becoming active in politics if deemed necessary. He said that this could only happen in the absence of the current Chairman and Prime Minister Oli, or with his consent. "She (former President Bhandari) can also become active. This is a matter of her wish. Necessity determines it. This is what the Chairman intends," Thapa said. According to him, the larger ranks of UML want to see the former President become active in the party.
"A large number of UML cadres are urging the former president to become active in the party, but she has not responded yet. Since she is a cadre who should not be active, and given the party's needs, it is not appropriate to say that this is the case right now," said Standing Committee member Thapa.
Chairman KP Oli had hinted that Bhandari could actively contribute within the party during the party's foundation day and another public program organized in Godavari, Lalitpur, on April 21. At the same event, the party honored her with the 'Republican Pride' award. The party's stance on this honor was interpreted in two ways.
Some viewed the honor of Republican Pride as an unannounced ban on former President Bhandari from entering party politics, while others saw it as an opening for her to become active in politics by allowing her to participate in party programs. Since then, former President Bhandari has participated in several special programs of the party. She was the chief guest at a UML women's gathering on May 28.
UML Chairman Oli participated in the gathering as a special speaker. It was likely the first event where Oli had to be a special guest at a UML function after being elected as chairman. The gathering was organized by the UML Mass Organization Coordination Mechanism. Under his leadership, a special resolution regarding 33 percent women's participation was passed by parliament, and rights were ensured in the interim constitution. The UML is now promoting this as part of its agenda.
The activism seen in former President Bhandari's political and social programs can be interpreted as a sign of her return to active politics. In addition, the frequent visits and dialogues of a majority of office bearers, including some women leaders, at the residence of Senior Vice President Ishwor Pokharel, along with the continuous meetings of district-level leadership, are motivating Bhandari.
After Chairman Oli, there are efforts to make her active in the party committee, highlighting that transferring leadership unanimously in the second generation is not easy, apart from electoral competition. UML leaders also claim that some leaders are trying to spark her interest in politics, believing she could unite the divided Unified Socialist Party. Although former President Bhandari has not made an official statement on the matter, she has begun to express her interest in becoming active in politics, with many in the party ranks wanting to see her do so.
UML Standing Committee member Thapa has stated that there is a possibility that former President Bhandari could become the party president at the 11th General Convention, or even before that, adding that the current party president may also agree to this. "If the 11th General Convention is to be a consensus convention, discussions on leadership can gradually take place with the president’s consent. But if he himself says there is no need to worry about this issue, then a solution will be found," Thapa said.
Responding to questions from participants at the Youth Conclave-2024 ceremony held on August 24, Prime Minister Oli announced that a woman can be made prime minister. He emphasized that he had appointed a woman as president, speaker, chief justice, defense minister, and chief secretary during his tenure. Bhandari, who was elected as the first female president of Nepal on October 28 after the constitution was promulgated on September 20, 2015, served two years and four months in her previous term.
After the 2074 BS elections, the UML nominated Bhandari as its candidate for the final term on behalf of the Left Alliance, and she completed her five-year term as the elected President from March 13, 2018 to March 12, 2023. After leaving the presidency, she invited some media persons and party workers to her residence for a light discussion on political interests.
Moreover, after she left the President’s Office, the Madan Bhandari Foundation was activated to celebrate Madan Bhandari's birth anniversary on June 29, 2023. The foundation had been active before, celebrating Madan Bhandari's birth and memorial day, but this time the event was made a bit more special. Former President Bhandari was the chief guest at the program organized by the Madan Bhandari Foundation at the National Assembly on the occasion of Madan Bhandari's 72nd birth anniversary. In the program, where the patron of the foundation, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, was the special guest, former President Bhandari not only discussed Madan Bhandari's contributions but also delivered a political message.
"Despite the changes in the political structure of the country, the task of the Nepali revolution has not been completed," she said. After becoming president on October 28, 2015, Bhandari withdrew from political programs. Following the end of her second term on March 12, 2023, Bhandari participated publicly under the banner of the foundation for the first time. She did not hold any formal position in the foundation.
Former President Bhandari had mobilized 11 mass organizations of the UML to celebrate Madan Jayanti. She had organized meetings with officials from various organizations, including All Nepal National Free Students Union (UML), the National Federation of Youth, the Akhil Nepali Mahila Sangh (ANEM), the Nepal Confederation of Sports, Press Chautari, and other mass organizations. Because of this, there are occasional indications that she may want to re-enter politics.
