Kathmandu, June 28: Forme Prime Minister and CPN, UML Chair K P Sharma Oli, CPN Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prachanda, and CPN co-chair Madhav Kumar Nepal will appear on the same stage on Sunday at a program marking the 75th birth anniversary of late communist leader Madan Bhandari.
The event is politically significant as it brings together some of Nepal’s most influential left leaders despite years of political rivalry, party splits and sharp public criticism. Oli and Madhav Nepal, in particular, have rarely shared a public platform since the split in the former Nepal Communist Party and the subsequent formation of the CPN, Unified Socialist, led by Nepal.
Former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav will also attend the program. Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari is the chief guest, while all the senior leaders are scheduled to address the gathering.
Organized by the Madan Bhandari Foundation, the event will begin at 1:30 pm at Rastriya Sabha Griha in Kathmandu. Along with a symposium on “Nepal’s Communist Movement and People’s Leader Madan Bhandari,” the program will also feature the presentation of the Madan Bhandari National Award.
The gathering comes at a time when Nepal’s left parties are witnessing renewed political realignments. Prachanda has recently indicated a willingness to cooperate with the UML on key issues inside and outside Parliament, fueling speculation about possible future coordination among communist parties. However, major ideological and political differences remain, particularly between Oli and Madhav Nepal, whose relationship has remained strained since the breakup of the Nepal Communist Party in 2021.
The event also carries symbolic importance because Madan Bhandari’s doctrine of People’s Multiparty Democracy continues to shape the UML’s political ideology and remains a point of reference across Nepal’s broader communist movement. Although leaders from different communist parties interpret his legacy differently, Bhandari remains one of the few figures capable of bringing rival factions onto a common platform.
While no formal political meeting has been announced alongside the program, the presence of several senior leaders at one venue is likely to draw attention amid continuing debate over the future direction of Nepal’s fragmented left politics and the possibility of greater cooperation ahead of future political contests.
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