On the 48th Pushpalal Memorial Day, CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli defended Nepal’s traditional political forces, calling for greater cooperation between democratic and leftist parties at a time when the country’s communist movement is facing internal divisions and declining public influence.
Addressing a program organized by the UML Kathmandu Province Committee, Oli focused much of his speech on the internal disputes of the Nepali Congress, saying that leadership struggles and power contests within major parties would not strengthen democracy. While claiming that the UML remains united, he expressed concern over divisions inside the Congress and wished for the party to regain its strength as a democratic force.
“The Nepali Congress should preserve its identity, remain united, and regain the capacity to fight for democracy,” Oli said, arguing that Nepal’s established political parties still have an important role in protecting democratic institutions.
Oli’s remarks came during an event commemorating Pushpa Lal Shrestha, the founding leader of Nepal’s communist movement. The timing of the event was significant as Nepal’s communist parties, which once dominated national politics, are struggling with fragmentation, leadership disputes, and questions over their future direction.
The legacy of Pushpalal’s movement has become a subject of renewed debate as communist parties that emerged from his ideological tradition have experienced repeated splits. The UML itself has faced internal criticism over leadership style and party transformation, while the broader left movement has struggled to maintain the unity and momentum that helped shape Nepal’s modern political landscape.
Oli argued that Nepal’s political history cannot be separated from the contributions of both the Nepali Congress and communist forces. Referring to major democratic movements from the 1950s to the 2006 people’s movement, he said both political traditions had played significant roles in struggles for democracy and change.
He also criticized attempts to portray established parties as outdated compared to newer political groups. According to Oli, political parties do not become irrelevant simply because they are old; rather, they must adapt themselves to changing social and political realities.
“Nepal’s politics has two major currents: the democratic tradition led by the Congress and the progressive left tradition led by the UML,” Oli said. He added that although the two parties may compete electorally and have disagreements, cooperation between them remains necessary for protecting democracy and the constitution.
Oli also accused the current government of engaging in retaliatory politics, claiming that leaders from both Congress and UML had faced pressure and legal challenges. He called on democratic and leftist forces to work together against what he described as authoritarian tendencies.
At the same event, senior communist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha called for self-criticism among communist leaders over the failure of the previous UML-Maoist unification. He said communist parties needed cooperation and renewed unity to protect Nepal’s constitution, federal system, and democratic achievements.
The Pushpalal Memorial Day gathering highlighted a central question facing Nepal’s politics today: whether the country’s traditional communist and democratic parties can reform, unite, and regain public confidence, or whether newer political forces will continue to expand their influence amid growing dissatisfaction with established parties.