Nepal: KP Oli Trapped Between Leadership Crisis, Youth Surge and the Countdown to the National Convention

Dr. Utkarsh Sinha

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) – CPN-UML – is currently standing at the most delicate and decisive turning point in its history. On one side, heavy pressure is mounting on KP Sharma Oli’s leadership; on the other, the passion of young activists and the anger of the new generation are pushing the party in a completely new direction. The upcoming national convention (Mahadhiweshan) is no longer just a formal event – it is about to become the birthplace of a brand-new UML.

All-round Pressure on Oli: The “Emperor” Can No Longer Walk Alone

For a long time, KP Sharma Oli remained the undisputed “emperor” of the UML, but by the end of 2025 his position has become visibly weak. In September 2025, his government was forced to resign after the violence triggered by the Gen-Z movement and the social-media ban. The responsibility for that humiliating defeat still hangs over his head like a sword. Voices are now rising from within the party itself, demanding change. The strongest pressure is coming from the faction led by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari and her supporters, who are openly calling for “new leadership”. Although technically Bidya Devi is not even a primary member of the party any more, she is busy exerting pressure from outside and trying to stage a comeback.

Bidya Devi Bhandari: Absence Is Heavy, Presence Would Be Heavier

The continued absence of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has become the biggest crisis for the party. She is neither visible in the preparations for the national convention nor among the grassroots workers. Inside the party, it is being loudly said that Bidya Devi is busy striking “secret deals” with certain foreign embassies so that she can again grab a big post after the convention. Many young leaders have openly accused her: “Bidya Devi ji is no longer the representative of the UML – she has become the agent of external forces.” Her mysterious distance and the alleged foreign backing are further intensifying polarisation within the party. Cadres are asking: when the party is in crisis, where are you?

Youth Surge and the Rebellion of the New Generation

Meanwhile, the most positive and powerful wind blowing inside the party is being led by Ramkumari Jhakri. Having returned to the UML after falling out with Prachanda, Jhakri has now become the biggest voice of youth, women and indigenous activists. Her speeches are full of fire and are electrifying the younger generation. She recently declared: “The party must stop being a museum and turn into a laboratory. We cannot win elections by hanging portraits of old leaders on the wall.”

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jhakri are Kishor Thebe, Maharaj Gurung, Binay Shah and a large number of new young leaders who have come out openly. In just the last three months, more than 70,000 new members have joined the UML’s youth wing “Youth Association Nepal” – a record-breaking figure in the party’s history.

There is intense speculation inside the party that at the national convention Janardan Sharma could become General Secretary and Ramkumari Jhakri could be made Deputy Chairman or head of the powerful Organisation Department – a move that would allow Oli to be respectfully shifted to the role of “Senior Guide”.

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The National Convention: The Final Battlefield

The upcoming UML national convention has now turned into an arena for the final battle among three clear factions:

1. The Oli–Bidya Devi camp – determined to cling to power at any cost.
2. The middle-path faction – wanting controlled change.
3. The youth alliance – demanding a completely new UML.

Results from district and province-level conventions show that the third camp (the youth alliance) is in the strongest position. In major cities such as Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara and Biratnagar, young delegates have crushed the old guard.

Conclusion: Either Revolution or Disintegration

The CPN-UML today has only two paths ahead:

• Either hand over the party to the youth generation and transform into a 21st-century party,
• Or, because of the stubbornness of Oli and Bidya Devi, break into three or four pieces.

Whatever new leadership emerges after the national convention, one thing is certain – the old UML is never coming back. The damage caused by Bidya Devi Bhandari’s mysterious absence and her alleged external backing will take years to repair. The time has come for the UML must start speaking the language of the youth; otherwise the next wave of Gen-Z will simply sweep it away.

Ramkumari Jhakri put it perfectly: “If the UML wants to survive, it has to change. If it wants to die, it can keep walking on the old path.”

(Author is Senior journalist and expert of International Politics)