Nepal, April 12 -- Even days before the September 8-9 Gen Z revolt that toppled his government, prime minister and CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli was reportedly trying to block the return of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari to the party.

Seven months down the line, Bhandari, a former UML vice-chairperson, has renewed her bid to return to the party leadership. By now, Oli has been significantly weakened. Oli not only lost the recent parliamentary election and his party shrunk to a distant third force in the House of Representatives, but the four-time prime minister has just been released from judicial custody after interrogation for his role in suppressing the youth rebellion.

As many in the UML rank and file demand a special convent...