Yogesh Bhattarai – A Call for Transformation and Leadership Transition

In this episode of Fireside with Rupesh Shrestha, broadcast on April 13, 2026, we speak with Yogesh Bhattarai, the Deputy General Secretary of CPN-UML. Following a devastating electoral defeat and the rise of a new political order led by Balendra Shah, Bhattarai offers a candid "post-mortem" of his party’s current paralysis and the need for deep internal reorganization. The dialogue dives into the "clouds" that have loomed over the CPN-UML since the December 2020 (Poush 5, 2077) dissolution of Parliament, which Bhattarai identifies as the root of the party’s current ideological crisis. Key Topics: Leadership and "Paving the Way": A direct call for KP Sharma Oli to step down, arguing that a regular or special general convention is necessary to refresh the party's leadership and policy. The Gen Z Reckoning: A critical look at the Bhadra 23/24 protests and the social media ban, with Bhattarai admitting the party's failure to properly apologize or realize its mistakes regarding the youth. Internal Ideological Conflict: Critiquing the aggressive rhetoric of leaders like Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' and tracing the party's decline back to the 2020 parliamentary dissolution. The Struggle of the Third Generation: Whether leaders like Bhattarai, Gagan Thapa, and others can overcome "bureaucratic" party hurdles and their own "inaction" to lead the next generation.