KATHMANDU: Just weeks after losing power under pressure from the Gen Z uprising, CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli is regrouping in Bhaktapur’s Gundu, meeting Secretariat members in an effort to prevent them from siding with rivals.

Oli was evacuated by army helicopter from Baluwatar on September 9 and has been based in Gundu since last week. Former president Bidya Devi Bhandari, whose Budanilakantha residence was also torched during the protests, has also reemerged as a political force after Oli removed from state power.

Bhandari now staying at her daughter’s home, she was seen Monday evening in New Baneshwor holding lengthy discussions with UML leaders at a restaurant meeting reportedly coordinated by Koshi Province former chief minister Sherdhan Rai.

Once an Oli loyalist, Rai has recently drawn closer to Bhandari, underscoring shifting alliances inside the party. While some leaders are calling for a special convention, others, including General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, argue leadership change is premature.

Amid the uncertainty, Oli seeks a majority in the Secretariat, while Bhandari works to build her own power base. Oli has been separately meeting with UML leaders to strengthen his power.