Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has made it clear that her political ambition is to lead the party and eventually become the prime minister. She has signaled that current party leader KP Sharma Oli should hand over leadership to her, suggesting that, if necessary, a healthy internal election could decide the matter.
The UML leadership is under pressure to make key decisions at its upcoming statute convention, scheduled for next month in Kathmandu. Oli raised the issue of Bhandari’s recent political activities at the ongoing UML Secretariat meeting. “Her announcement to return to politics has increased polarization within the party,” Oli said. “To stop further division, we must move forward in a united manner. The time has come for an institutional decision.”
Oli added that Bhandari’s decision to return to party politics has now become a subject for internal party discussion, and a conclusion will be reached through dialogue. He is of the view that Bhandari needs to clearly communicate her goals and intentions.
Bhandari has been expanding her political presence through the Madan Bhandari Foundation and recently launched her personal website to publicize her activities.
Meanwhile, the government’s image has been tarnished by corruption scandals involving cabinet ministers. Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Raj Kumar Gupta, resigned following the release of an audio clip allegedly linking him to a bribery deal. Bhagawati Neupane has since replaced him. Similarly, a video implicating Land Reform Minister Balaram Adhikari has surfaced, though it remains unverified whether the clip is authentic or AI-generated.
Despite Prime Minister Oli’s declared policy of zero tolerance toward corruption, the government is under fire for failing to contain such scandals. Over recent months, corruption cases have multiplied, further eroding public trust in the political system. Many argue that coalition governments, by nature, are more vulnerable to corruption than single-party administrations.
Adding to the government’s woes, two coalition partners—Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Nagarik Unmukti Party—have withdrawn support. While this may not have immediate national implications, it signals a weakening of the government’s political base. As a result, the ruling coalition has lost its majority in the National Assembly (Upper House), potentially complicating the passage of key legislation. The land reform bill lies at the heart of the dispute between JSP and the government. Notably, even NC and UML remain divided on several key provisions of the bill.
There is speculation that Prime Minister Oli may reshuffle underperforming ministers to boost the government’s performance. Some ministers have publicly stated that during their swearing-in last year, the prime minister had indicated they might be removed after one year.
The Oli government has now completed its first year in office, with a mixed record. While it has managed to ensure relative stability, it has been criticized for failing to initiate the long-promised constitutional amendments. In terms of governance, little progress has been made, although anti-corruption bodies like the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) have uncovered major scandals. Notably, the CIAA has filed corruption charges against former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, a move many view as politically motivated.
Ministers continue to highlight their achievements publicly, but the general public remains unimpressed by their performance.
Like in previous years, capital expenditure once again failed to meet targets. As usual, a last-minute rush in the final month of the fiscal year, commonly referred to as Asare Bikash (July Development), led to potentially inefficient spending. Such practices often open doors for corruption, yet no effective mechanism exists to monitor these expenditures.
Intra-party tensions have also escalated within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). Party Chairperson Rajendra Lingden has removed Navaraj Subedi from the Disciplinary Committee and Sagun Kumar Lawati as the party spokesperson. Senior leader Dhawal Shumsher Rana has publicly criticized the move and is positioning himself to challenge Lingden in the upcoming leadership contest. The once-vocal royalist movement has lost momentum, and the RPP is now reassessing its direction. Some leaders believe that if former King Gyanendra Shah is not genuinely committed—having reportedly contributed only Rs 10m—it is time to drop the monarchy agenda and focus solely on promoting Hindu nationalism. Ironically, the royalist revival campaign has ended up dividing the RPP itself.
The government has launched parallel investigations into two controversies: the disappearance of individuals during Prime Minister Oli’s official visit to Spain, and the leaked audio implicating former Minister Raj Kumar Gupta in a bribery case. Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, confirmed that an inquiry is underway into reports that several people—outside the official delegation—who traveled with the prime minister to Spain did not return.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) claims that 2.5m people have signed a petition asserting that the legal cases against party leader Rabi Lamichhane are politically motivated. The party also reports raising over Rs 4m in public donations for Lamichhane. Party workers continue to campaign door-to-door to rally support.
In a significant legal development, a division bench of the Supreme Court ruled that daughters married before 1 Oct 2015, are not entitled to ancestral property. This verdict settles a long-standing legal dispute, at least for now. The judiciary, however, remains under public scrutiny for alleged political affiliations in judicial appointments.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to restore the trade routes and rescue stranded Nepalis after the Rasuwa landslide severed connectivity between Nepal and China. The government has requested China to install a bailey bridge before the Dashain festival.
