KATHMANDU: Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and former President Bidya Devi Bhandari held a meeting in Chyasal on Sunday amid rising internal disputes within the party.

The two leaders sat for talks at the UML Central Office in Chyasal as tensions deepened within the party regarding Bhandari’s intent to return to active politics.

Oli, reportedly unhappy with her re-entry, is planning to prevent her from regaining influence within UML.

PM Oli reached Chyasal only after 4 PM from Baluwatar. He invited Bhandari for talks shortly after declaring that her already-renewed party membership had been placed on hold.

On June 28, at a Madan Bhandari Foundation event also attended by Oli, former President Bhandari had announced her return to UML politics, citing that she had renewed her party membership a year ago.

During the UML Politburo meeting on Saturday, Oli stated that Bhandari’s membership renewal was still pending.

Despite earlier taking an aggressive stance, even deploying his close aides to oppose her return, Oli eventually agreed to hold a dialogue.

He invited Bhandari to the UML central office at 3 PM on Sunday, but their meeting took place more than an hour later than scheduled.

Before serving two terms as Nepal’s President, Bhandari was elected as UML Vice-Chair from the party’s 9th General Convention.

After Bhandari publicly declared her return to UML, Oli raised the issue in the party’s Secretariat meeting held last Thursday.

Several leaders suggested that Oli himself should initiate talks to resolve the matter.

During the same meeting, party leaders emphasized that the UML had a responsibility to respectfully manage the return of former President Bhandari. However, the subsequent Politburo meeting saw Oli and his loyalists taking a more obstructive stance.

Oli’s faction is reportedly determined not to allow Bhandari to participate in the upcoming Statute Convention of the party.

They claim her party membership was renewed only after the 10th General Convention and therefore argue she should not be permitted to attend the second Statute Convention scheduled for September 5-7.