Kathmandu, Dec 18 (NationPress) In a remarkable comeback, former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, despite his ousting in September, was re-elected for a third consecutive term as the chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) during its 11th general convention.

The convention, conducted this week in Kathmandu, saw him receiving 1,663 votes out of 2,227 total votes cast, effectively defeating his opponent, the outgoing General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel, who garnered just 564 votes, as reported by the party’s Central Election Commission.

Oli's journey began back in 2014 when he first occupied the position during the 9th general convention, and he was subsequently re-elected in 2021 at the 10th general convention. His latest victory solidifies his leadership of the second-largest party in the recently disbanded House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament.

Authorized to lead the party for the next five years, Oli’s victory came despite strong support for Pokharel from former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who had aspirations of her own to reclaim leadership within the UML but was sidelined by Oli's refusal to accept her back into the party.

Pokharel, who shifted allegiance back to Oli’s camp during the ninth general convention after initially being associated with former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal's faction, made a bold challenge for the party’s top position this year after a decade of loyalty to Oli.

During the 10th general convention in 2021, Pokharel had previously supported Oli against Bhim Rawal’s challenge. Oli's dominance over the party was evident following its split in 2021, which saw a faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal create a separate political entity—the CPN (Unified Socialist).

Since then, Oli has consolidated his power further by eliminating several critics within the party, including Rawal. The Gen-Z movement that led to his government’s ouster in September did raise questions about his leadership among some UML members; however, his recent electoral success indicates a sustained loyalty among the party's ranks.

Oli's ability to run for the party leadership elections was facilitated by amendments made to the party’s statutes, which previously imposed a two-term limit and a 70-year age restriction. Following a party convention in September, these limitations were abolished, enabling Oli, now 73 years old, to achieve this unprecedented hat-trick.

Originally, the two-term limit for leadership roles was established during the eighth general convention in 2009, while the age limit was imposed during the ninth convention in 2014. However, a secretariat meeting in June 2023 suspended the age restriction, leading to Oli's re-election alongside many of his loyal supporters.