Pokharel Outpolls Oli in UML Central Committee Vote Despite Losing Chair

Ishwar Pokharel secured more votes than KP Sharma Oli in the UML central committee election, even as Oli won a third term as party chair.

Khoj Samachar Editorial Team | News Desk

Thursday, 18 December 2025, 15:23

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and senior leader Ishwar Pokharel during the party’s 11th General Convention in Kathmandu, where Oli won a third term as chair while Pokharel secured more votes in the central committee election.

Kathmandu — The 11th General Convention of the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) has delivered mixed results for the party’s senior leadership. Although KP Sharma Oli secured a clear victory in the contest for party chair, his rival Ishwar Pokharel received more votes than Oli in the election for the central committee under the open category.

Under the party’s statute, candidates running for top executive posts are also allowed to contest for positions in the central committee. Taking advantage of this provision, both Oli and Pokharel stood in the central committee race.

The final count shows that Oli received 979 votes in the central committee open-category election, while Pokharel secured 1,088 votes, placing him ahead of the party chair in that contest.

The outcome was very different in the leadership race. Oli won the chairmanship by a wide margin, collecting 1,663 votes and securing a third term as chair of the CPN-UML. Pokharel received 564 votes in the contest for the party’s top position.

The results reflect contrasting levels of support within the party, with Oli maintaining firm control over the leadership, while Pokharel demonstrated stronger backing in the central committee vote.

Written by Khoj Samachar Editorial Team | News Desk

Editorial team of Khoj Samachar responsible for publishing and managing news content, quality and timely coverage of national and global developments.