Nepal, Sept. 25 -- Nepal's second President, Bidya Devi Bhandari, has returned to active party politics, rejoining the CPN-UML in a move that could alter the party's internal equations and fuel fresh debate over the possibility of broader Left unity.

After leaving Sheetal Niwas, Bhandari had been seeking a return to active politics within the UML. However, she failed to renew her party membership amid a lack of support from party Chair KP Sharma Oli. On Thursday, the UML Central Committee (CC) designated her as a senior leader, formally opening the way for her return to active politics.

Although the UML statute does not provide for the position of senior leader, the CC created the position for Bhandari and brought her back into active ...