UML Secretariat Deeply Divided as Oli Pushes for House Reinstatement

Senior leaders demand elections and leadership change, while Oli insists on reinstatement—party faces internal conflict over political strategy and future direction

The CPN-UML Secretariat is divided over the issue of reinstating the House of Representatives. Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli is preparing to push the agenda of reinstatement in the upcoming Secretariat meeting, arguing that returning to Parliament (instead of holding elections) is the only way to “restore the system.” He has even hinted at launching street protests and believes the Nepali Congress will also support this line.

However, several senior UML leaders—such as Ishwar Pokharel, Surendra Pandey, Yogesh Bhattarai, and Gokarna Bista—oppose reinstatement and insist on moving ahead with elections. They consider Oli’s proposal irrelevant and are ready to block it or even submit a Note of Dissent if necessary.

Additionally, internal voices demanding party restructuring and leadership change are growing stronger. Some leaders, including Bishnu Poudel and Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal,’ may even support asking Oli to step down from leadership.

While Oli claims Congress will align with his plan, the party has not shown support so far. Thus, the upcoming UML Secretariat meeting is expected to intensively debate two major issues: House reinstatement vs. elections and party leadership restructuring.