CPN-UML leader Madhav Nepal is almost alone. With only a formal announcement of the UML
split, Nepal has reached Eklin. For Nepal, which has been led by the UML for decades, the
party’s policies and rules have become invalid. Chairman KP Sharma, who was in Oli’s favor,
tried to take a stand against Oli when the time was right. But now that the leaders on his side
have started taking turns, he is left alone.
Chairman Oli, along with Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in the then CPN (Maoist), had
boycotted the Nepal group. After the UML split and Oli dissolved the parliament, Prachanda and
Nepal joined hands to oppose Oli. At that time, there were more than 40 Nepali MPs, a
significant number of members of the Standing Committee and the Central Committee.
Gradually, Nepali leaders began to appear on Oli’s side. As leaders including Sher Bahadur
Tamang and Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel left, Nepal was getting weaker after the CPN (UML) was
ousted by the Supreme Court on March 8. As soon as the formal relationship with Prachanda was
severed, the pro-Nepal lawmakers started favoring Oli.
There are also leaders who are determined to support Nepal. Along with Prakash Jwala of
Karnali, there are four lawmakers and active leaders at the center. Leaders who did not cast a
vote of confidence on April 10 have openly protested against the Oli trend. However, after
Chairman Oli gave a positive statement to some leaders of the Nepali side on April 12, some of
them have turned to Oli while others have joined Nepal in protest. Some Nepali leaders did not
sign the agreement to make Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba the Prime Minister
last time. Yogesh Bhattarai is one of them. After Bhattarai did not sign, rumors have started
circulating that he has left the Nepali side.
There were 27 Nepali MPs in the agreement to make Deuba the Prime Minister. However, only
23 of them were present at the Supreme Court to file a writ petition against Oli. Gokarna Bista,
Pavitra Niraula Kharel, Ganesh Pahadi and Raj Bahadur Budha, who signed the agreement to
make Deuba the prime minister, also did not attend the meeting. Gokarna Bista and Yogash
Bhattarai left Nepal for the last time.
Surendra Pandey, Deepak Prasad Bhatt and Narayan Khatiwada have signed on the Nepali side.
Nepal, which used to have 40 MPs, now has only 23 MPs. Jhala Nath Khanal, Birodh Atiwada,
Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Ghanshyam Bhusal, Som Prasad Pandey, Krishnalal Maharjan, Niradevi
Jairu, Sarla Kumar Yadav, Kalyani Khadka, Bhim Rawal, Ram Kumari Jhankri and Laxmi
Chaudhary are among those who are openly in favor of Nepal.
