Bidya Devi Bhandari Defends Her UML Membership, Vows to Remain Active in Politics

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has spoken out strongly in defense of her party membership with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or CPN-UML, amid controversy over the party’s decision to reject the renewal of her membership.

At a press conference in Kathmandu, Bhandari said she has been associated with the party for 45 years and formally renewed her membership on June 28, 2025, during an event marking the 74th birth anniversary of the late UML leader Madan Bhandari.

“There is no valid reason to cancel my membership,” she said. “I fulfilled all party procedures and have always remained committed to the party's ideology and mission.”

Bhandari said she was disappointed that her membership renewal was deemed illegal by the UML Central Committee. She said the decision came despite prior discussions with party Chairperson and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and other UML leaders.

She called the move unfair, immature, and damaging to the party’s reputation. “Even if the truth can be hidden for a short time, it cannot be suppressed forever,” Bhandari said.

She clarified that her return to politics was not driven by a desire for power or position, having already served as the nation’s first female President. “I have no ambition for posts. I only want to contribute to national development and serve the people through active politics,” she added.

Bhandari emphasized her loyalty to the party's guiding principle of “people’s multiparty democracy” as envisioned by her late husband and UML leader, Madan Bhandari. She urged UML leaders and members to stay united and committed to the party’s original mission.

She concluded by asserting that no law or constitutional provision prevents her from joining party politics, and vowed to continue working within the party regardless of opposition. “This is the voice of my conscience. I will not waver,” she declared.