Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: A rift has emerged within the ruling CPN-UML following the party’s decision not to allow former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to return to active politics.
The party’s Central Committee that concluded on Tuesday decided not to renew Bhandari’s party membership, citing her status as a “respected figure” rather than an active political leader.
The move has sparked internal dissent, with several senior leaders voicing opposition. Standing Committee Member Karna Bahadur Thapa said the party Central Committee’s decision undermines democratic norms and internal party procedures. “Why shouldn’t Bidhya Bhandari be allowed to return to politics? Does the Constitution bar her? It does not. Preventing her from joining politics is a violation of her natural and constitutional rights,” Thapa told Himal Press.
He added that such a restriction would have been included in the constitution if it were legitimate. “We debated this extensively during the drafting of the Constitution. In the end, we didn’t include a restriction because it wasn’t justified. How can the party now impose what the Constitution doesn’t?” he wondered.
While Thapa refrained from speculating on Bhandari’s next steps, he said that discussions were ongoing. “We can’t say right now how she will move forward. But one thing is clear, she has been barred from returning to politics,” Thapa said.
Asked whether UML is abandoning its democratic roots, Thapa said the party’s core ideology, People’s Multiparty Democracy, is being weakened. “We are fighting to protect that ideological foundation, which is slowly being eroded,” he added.
