Four leaders have parted ways with CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli after failing to secure the party positions they aspired to. Former Oli government Minister for Education, Science and Technology Raghuji Pant, Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam, leader Krishna Gopal Shrestha, and Gokul Baskota have withdrawn their support from Oli.
UML leaders say that Pradeep Gyawali, who had staked a claim for the post of General Secretary from the Oli camp, returned home without filing a nomination for the Vice-Chair position. After being excluded from the list of office-bearers by Oli, Pant has moved closer to rival chair candidate Ishwar Pokharel and has filed his candidacy for Vice-Chair from Pokharel’s panel.
Publicity Department Chief Gautam, who had wanted to contest for the Secretary post from the Oli camp, has instead filed his candidacy independently for the post of Deputy General Secretary. “I will now contest as an independent candidate for Deputy General Secretary,” he said.
Krishna Gopal Shrestha, who had long been close to Chair Oli, said he was subjected to insult and injustice and is now contesting for the Secretary post from the Pokharel group. Gokul Baskota, once a close aide of Oli who had left his group earlier, has also filed his candidacy for Secretary from the Pokharel panel.
With these developments, a direct contest between KP Sharma Oli and Ishwar Pokharel for the party chairmanship has been all but confirmed.
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