Kathmandu, Oct. 8 -- Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has officially returned to active politics in the CPN-UML on Thursday, 11 years after she left party responsibilities to become head of state.

The UML central committee last month nominated Bhandari as a senior leader, putting her in second place after party chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli. The party created the position by invoking a statutory provision for removing obstacles, even though its existing statute does not recognise a senior leader post.

Bhandari served as president for two consecutive terms, from October 2015 to March 2018 and from March 2018 to March 2023. Before becoming the country's President, she was a UML vice-chair. She later remained active thr...