The clock had already struck midnight. But top leaders of the ruling party, UML, were still at odds over the party’s candidate for President. Twenty-two standing committee members the party were yet to reach a consensus.
The UML had to take a crucial decision which its top leaders had been avoiding for a long time. This had allowed dissent to simmer, and mid-level leaders of the party to unite against an impending decision to re-elect Bhandari. It was an ‘open secret’ that Oli had already decided that Bhandari would continue.
As the meeting began at 7 pm. According to sources present at the meeting, mid-level leaders of the party raised their voice against Bhandari’s nomination. Standing committee members Asta Laxmi Shakya, Ghanashyam Bhushal and Yogesh Bhattarai led the tirade against Bhandari, whom they accused of unduly influencing party decisions from Sheetal Niwas. “They accused President Bhandari of demanding her share when the party nominated candidates for posts ranging from ward chairman to Chief Minister,” a leader present at the meeting said.
“They also accused President Bhandari of calling Province 3 party MLAs to warn them against voting for Asta Laxmi Shakya, one of the candidates for Chief Minister,” the source said.
But the members of the top brass including Bamdev Gautam and Madhav Nepal remained silent for a long time.
Former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, who had publicly said he is in contention for the post, was visibly fed-up. “The Chairman is taking important decisions on his own without consulting the party ranks,” Khanal said during the meeting. Oli replied, “We are in the eleventh hour; from now on I will take decisions only after consulting everyone.”
Khanal, who patiently listened to Oli, signalled towards Oli and said, “Ok, you do whatever you want to.”
Meanwhile. Ghanashyam Bhushal proposed that Shakya be named the party’s candidate for President. A source said that leaders from the Oli camp argued that Bhandari had to be ‘managed’ as she still had lot of years left in politics and once someone becomes President, it would not be right to return to active politics.
However, after Bhushal was done speaking, the party leader keeping records of the meeting announced that Bhandari had been chosen as the party’s candidate. Bhushal said that he would file a ‘note of dissent’ against the decision and his note should be recorded in the minute of the meeting. However, as it was already past midnight, the record-keeper said the minute would be prepared the next day.
On Wednesday morning, the UML’s official website said, “Bhandari chosen as consensus candidate.” Bhushal’s note of dissent wasn’t mentioned.
