Veteran Communist leader K P Sharma Oli kindled hopes for much-needed political stability in Nepal when he assumed power for the second time in 2018 after the Left alliance swept the historic parliamentary polls.

However, his surprise move to recommend the dissolution of Parliament after weeks of power tussle within the ruling Nepal Communist Party dashed all hopes, once again created political instability and paved the way for a possible split in the largest communist party of the country.

Oli, who joined politics as a student activist in his teenage and spent 14 years in jail for opposing the now-abolished monarchy, became Nepal’s Prime Minister for a second time in 2018 as a joint candidate of the Left alliance.

The alliance between the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led CPN (Maoist Centre) won a majority in the House of Representatives and in six of the seven provincial assemblies in the 2017 elections. After their victory, the two parties formally merged in May 2018.

Known for his pro-China stance, 68-year-old Oli had earlier served as the country’s prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016 during which Kathmandu’s ties with New Delhi had strained.

During his first term, Oli had publicly criticised India for interfering in Nepal’s internal matters and accused it of toppling his government. He, however, promised to forge a partnership with India to move forward the country towards the path of economic prosperity ahead of assuming office for the second term.

In 2015, when Nepal adopted a new Constitution that split it into seven states, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the provinces and were also facing discrimination. The issue had strained Indo-Nepal ties.

During his second term, Oli claimed that efforts were being made to oust him after his government redrew Nepal’s political map by incorporating three strategically key Indian territories, a move that strained ties between the two countries.

India had termed as “untenable” the “artificial enlargement” of the territorial claims by Nepal after its Parliament unanimously approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it.

Oli accused his rivals within the party of making efforts to topple his government.