Politics of irreconcilable expectations

The old guard yearns for stability to retain its station in life, while the new claimants seek dynamism.

The precipitous fall from the heights of power to the depths of disgrace of Khas-Arya ethnonational chieftain KP Sharma Oli has been dramatic. Just a year ago, he stood at the summit, commanding obedience and adulation. At the time of writing this column, he clings to the edge, seeking acceptance as the third-term chairperson of a party that he had managed as a personal fiefdom.