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By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel

There is an old saying in Nepali, “bhagymani ko bhutai kamaro.” The literal translation is, “even a ghost works as a laborer for a lucky person.” This old adage rightly fits our former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, who has become the party chairman yet another time despite widespread flak and criticism—both inside and outside the party.

Former prime minister Oli became the party chairman for the third consecutive term as his panel swept clean the results of the 11th General Convention held in Kathmandu just recently. He became the party president at a time when he was not only criticized for his brinkmanship within the party but also as an incompetent prime minister unable to curb high-voltage scams and corruption. The moot question is what led him to win the party president portfolio yet another time. In plain words, there has been a clarion call for change in the party leadership and the removal of the old guard following the Gen Z movement. But despite this, Oli retained the party leadership. I will try to provide a close-to-perfect answer.

Oli has been serving as the party chair since 2014. Within this period, Oli has drawn both flak and admiration. Right from day one, Oli has not been liked by his juniors and contemporaries. They argue that Oli is a tyrannical and egoistic politician who does not uphold the party’s values and ethos. Likewise, they hold the view that Oli has the ability to maneuver party norms and values for his personal advantage. This is evident in Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament in 2019 after he refused to step down, paving the way for Prachanda to take over as the new PM as per their gentlemen’s agreement.

Within the party, there are few who admire Oli. A senior leader, Mahesh Basnet, is one example. Following the Gen Z protest that ousted the Oli-led government and formed the interim government under the leadership of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, Mahesh Basnet emerged as a very close ally of Oli. While Oli was finding it difficult to escape the wrath of the people after the Gen Z protest, Mahesh Basnet came out publicly defending Oli and his leadership. He challenged the people, mainly Gen Z, saying that no one has the courage and guts to defame him. This is the reason why Mahesh Basnet has become the darling of Oli at present.

Ahead of the 11th General Convention, Oli worked meticulously to sideline several senior leaders of the party. He resorted to all possible tactics to marginalize his political opponents. Consider the case of a senior leader, Bhim Rawal. It is said that Bhim Rawal challenged Oli’s leadership during the last general convention. It is also reported that Rawal was gaining traction in reaching out to those who viewed Oli as a tyrant and stubborn leader, succeeding in bringing them into confidence. But the clever and calculative Oli played the spoilsport and cornered Rawal over defiance of the party’s code of conduct.

Fast forward, Oli drew media limelight after he refused the former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s party membership renewal. He came up with a narrative that the party’s statute does not permit the former president of the country to renew party membership. This narrative was sold successfully, as many pro-Oli constitutional experts said that the decision of the country’s former president was not only unconstitutional but also undemocratic.

Amidst this argument, the former president Bhandari, supported by some internal leaders, emerged as a leader having the potential to see Oli eye to eye. The decision of the former president perturbed Oli, and as a result, Oli became restless, forcing him to hatch a conspiracy to sideline Bhandari. As in the past, Oli succeeded this time as well.

This would be unjustifiable if Oli is not praised for some of his commendable work. In 2015, right after the promulgation of the constitution, our southern neighbor imposed an economic embargo, citing displeasure over the constitution. While the country was already struggling to manage post-earthquake recovery that wreaked havoc in the country, the economic sanction added to the woes of the nation. But this time, Oli stood firm and refused to bow to our southern neighbor. This made him the darling of the masses.

To say, there has been a mixed bag for him. Some appreciated him for his role in defying the sanction imposed by India post-constitution promulgation in 2015, while many dislike him for his brinkmanship and oligarchic manner of running the party. But when we assess Oli as a leader, his weaknesses outnumber his strengths.

Oli’s strategy and approach have not been very big. It is very simple: divide and rule, either by money or muscle. He institutionalizes the coterie politics he once opposed. He marginalizes anyone who dares to speak against him. He believes that if you cannot silence your critics, bring them into confidence through any means—money or muscle. In plain words, Oli cannot withstand his political opponents and embraces any tactics to corner them. This has been his hallmark strategy and approach.

Oli’s third term as the chief of one of the country’s oldest and largest parties will be filled with challenges. Oli has to testify before the inquiry commission headed by Gauri Bahadur Karki for the state’s use of deadly force to quell the Gen Z protests. Oli has also dismissed the election scheduled for March 5, 2026. Why he has been shying away from the upcoming general election is an issue of big concern. We hope that we will get the answer very soon.