UML Declares Oli as Prime Ministerial Candidate, Finalizes Key Poll Contenders
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) – CPN (UML) – has officially put forward its chairman, KP Sharma Oli, as its candidate for prime minister. This significant declaration comes as the party also finalizes the majority of its candidates for the upcoming first-past-the-post (FPTP) contests in the House of Representatives elections, slated for March 5. This move aligns with a broader trend among major political parties to publicly name their prime ministerial hopefuls.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has, for instance, announced its intention to present Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor, Balendra (Balen) Shah, as its prime ministerial nominee. Shah, who secured a notable victory as an independent candidate in the 2022 local elections, formally unified with the RSP on December 28.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress, buoyed by its recent second special general convention, is reportedly preparing to nominate Gagan Thapa, the newly elected party president, as its prominent figure for the prime minister’s post. The UML’s decision to re-nominate Oli, who previously served as prime minister before being removed from office, underscores the party’s strategy.
Oli’s Traditional Stronghold and Potential Challengers
In a key decision made during a secretariat meeting on Saturday, it was confirmed that KP Sharma Oli will once again contest from Jhapa-5, a constituency widely considered a stronghold for the UML. This development is drawing considerable attention, particularly with reports suggesting that Balen Shah might be considering resigning his mayoral position as early as Sunday to enter the electoral race. Shah’s potential candidacy could directly challenge Oli’s long-held seat in Jhapa-5, setting the stage for a high-profile contest.
The secretariat meeting, held at the UML headquarters in Chysal, addressed the selection of candidates for most of the 165 FPTP constituencies. According to UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet, Chairman Oli has been empowered to finalize candidates for the few remaining seats.
Key Candidate Selections and Unresolved Constituencies
While Oli’s candidacy from Jhapa-5 is confirmed, the UML has yet to make a definitive decision regarding General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel. Pokhrel experienced a loss in the 2022 elections for the Dang-2 House seat, where he was defeated by Rekha Sharma of the former CPN (Maoist Centre), who benefited from the support of the Nepali Congress and other allied smaller parties. The UML has indicated that the candidate for Dang-2 will be determined after consultations with Pokhrel.
Vice-chair Bishnu Paudel has been selected to run from Palpa-2. Paudel had previously contested elections from Rupandehi-2.
The party has also not yet announced its candidate for the constituency of Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa. Thapa has been elected by voters in Kathmandu-4 for three consecutive terms. Furthermore, the UML has not yet identified a candidate for Kathmandu-5, a seat where Ishwar Pokhrel was defeated by Pradeep Paudel of the Congress in the 2022 elections.
Ishwar Pokhrel had challenged Oli for the party’s top leadership position during the recently concluded 11th general convention. Within Kathmandu, out of ten constituencies, candidates have been selected for six seats, with Oli retaining the authority to decide on the remaining four.
Among the party officials who emerged victorious from Ishwar Pokhrel’s faction at the general convention, Vice-chair Gokarna Bista will be fielded from Gulmi-2. However, Deputy General Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai has not yet been assigned a constituency. Bhattarai had won the previous election from Taplejung, but it is understood that Oli will be making the final selection for the candidate in that constituency this time.
The UML has decided to field Asmin Ghimire in Chitwan-2, which is the constituency of RSP President Rabi Lamichhane.
Provincial Nominations and Election Preparations
The party, which was the second-largest in the dissolved House, has finalized all 16 candidates for the Sudurpaschim province. Additionally, candidates for 13 constituencies in the Karnali province have also been confirmed.
In the Rupandehi district of Lumbini Province, candidates have been selected for two out of the five constituencies. The responsibility for choosing candidates for the remaining three has been delegated to Chairman Oli. Basudev Ghimire has been nominated to contest from Rupandehi-3. Notably, Ghimire had previously been rumored to be considering leaving the UML to join the RSP, alongside Mayor Shah.
The Election Commission has designated January 20 as the nomination day for all 165 FPTP seats for the March 5 polls. Most political parties intending to contest the House of Representatives elections have already put forward their candidate lists.
Election Manifesto and Leadership Roles
An earlier UML secretariat meeting had entrusted Oli with the crucial task of drafting the party’s election manifesto. A committee has been formed for this purpose, comprising Vice-chairs Ram Bahadur Thapa and Bishnu Paudel, General Secretary Pokhrel, and leaders Ishwar Pokhrel, Pradeep Gyawali, and Bishnu Rimal.
Furthermore, a meeting held on January 6 decided to appoint Vice-chair Thapa as the party’s election commander.
Recommendations for candidates had been submitted by UML constituency coordination committees, district committees, and provincial committees. Based on these recommendations, approximately 35 leaders, including Oli himself, were unanimously selected. Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, the UML’s publicity department chief, confirmed these selections.
Shifting Alliance Dynamics
Until recent changes in the Nepali Congress leadership, discussions were underway between the two largest parties of the dissolved House regarding the potential for an electoral alliance. However, following Gagan Thapa’s election as Congress president at the special general convention, the party has decided against forming an electoral alliance with the UML for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Congress and the UML had previously agreed to form an alliance for the January 25 vote to fill 18 vacant seats in the National Assembly. The Thapa-led Congress has affirmed its commitment to honoring this decision. However, for the broader parliamentary elections, the party has adopted a policy of not entering into any electoral alliances or pre-poll arrangements with other parties.
Notable Withdrawals
Bhim Acharya, who did not secure the vice-chair position while running on Ishwar Pokhrel’s panel at the recent 11th general convention, has made the decision not to stand in the upcoming March polls. Acharya, who won the Sunsari constituency 2 in 2022, had formally communicated his decision to the party, according to UML sources. Party insiders revealed that Oli, along with Sherdhan Rai, the party’s Koshi provincial in-charge, had proposed Acharya’s candidacy from Sunsari-2, but Acharya ultimately rejected the offer. Acharya has a long electoral history with the UML, having contested five elections since the 1994 mid-term polls.
