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Where is UML’s Gang of Four taking the party?

UML Leaders

Commentary

Former Maoist leader Radhakrishna Mainali, who returned to the UML fold sometime back, always repeats his assessment of the second largest party in Nepal’s Parliament.

“There is no other party as strong as the UML in the whole of South Asia, but four top leaders of the party (KP Oli, Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam) are turning the party into worm-food. History has it, the party can attain great heights when the leaders are united. But that is not happening at the moment.”

If we are to borrow Mainali’s words, the four leaders are at it again, they are turning the party in worm-food. The best indication of this can be seen on social media, where Madhav Nepal and KP Oli groups are fighting each other. The Oli gang, especially, has made it a point to target Nepal, and others when they get the opportunity.

Nepal, who is one of those leaders who have sworn by the later leader Madan Bhandari’s idea of democracy, is actively involved in an academy established in Bhandari’s name; so are many other leaders. But KP Oli, who is also the head of the UML, is intolerant to dissent — even Stalin would roll in his grave if he knew what Oli’s done, especially to Madhav Nepal.

 

The two campaigns

Inside Nepal’s most popular ‘communist’ party, there are two campaigns that are gathering pace, and they are weakening the party in an unprecedented way. Oli is being elevated to the status of a ‘superhuman’ and ‘nationalist’ while Madhav downgraded to a demon. The second campaign is also trying to get to senior leaders Jhalanath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam.

Oli’s supporters are also taking on leaders of the Nepali Congress, Maoists, and the Madheshi parties by labelling them ‘Indian agents’.  Oli’s supporters are blinded by his slogans to such a degree that they can see no wrong in him. But even if we set a lower standard to judge Oli’s performance during his nine months in power, Oli did not perform. Not only was he unable to solve the Madheshi’s problems, he spent millions of rupees from the state coffers to organise parties for his supporters at PM’s official residence in Baluwatar.

Former Prime Minister and UML senior leader Jhalanath Khanal, in his speech in the Parliament, presented himself as a true leader. He said Prachanda needs to approach the UML so that a government of national consensus can be formed. Similarly, Gautam reiterated that there was indeed a gentleman’s agreement between Oli and Prachanda to hand over the reigns of government to the Maoist leader after the passage of the budget. Madhav Nepal also gave a balanced speech in the House. The three leaders were calm and composed, and it was evident that they wanted an end to polarisation in the country.

But that would not go down well with Oli and his gang.

Where is UML headed now?

UML Leaders
If Gautam is not lying, Oli was the main reason for the failure of the alliance.

The main reason PM Oli had to resign was that it could not convince the Maoists to stay on in the government, but what really prompted the Maoists to quit was something else. Gautam has already gone on record saying that there was a deal between Oli and Prachanda to allow the Maoists to run the government after the passage of the budget. If Gautam is not lying, Oli was the main reason for the failure of the alliance.

But Oli and his gang have found it easier to blame India for his downfall. Indian media, which has been tirelessly trying to establish that Oli’s fall is India’s ‘comeback in Nepal’, is helping Oli to spin this narrative further.

Oli and his party should stop this nonsense and concentrate on more important things. Resolving differences among the top four leaders could be a good place to start.

The second thing they need to do is work together with the Congress and the Maoists to formulate necessary electoral laws. The Nepali Congress and Maoists have said they want to conduct local elections in April, and by November next year, elections at all levels are mandatory. All this will not be possible without the support of the UML.

RK Mainali was probably right. If we look at recent history, the UML achieved a landslide victory in the 1996 local elections, and many attribute this success to then Home Minister Bamdev Gautam. When Oli announced his plans to hold local elections in November, the opposition was worried that Gautam would show his wizardry again. But it was not to be.

“UML is a golden party, but its four leaders are turning it into worm-food.” KP Oli is leading the way, will the other three follow suit?

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