Tough-talking Nepali leader Oli spent decades in communist politics and served as prime minister four times before he was ousted in 2025 by deadly youth protests. Oli, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), hopes to regain control of parliament in the March 5, 2026 elections. Oli, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), hopes to regain control of parliament in the March 5 elections. As prime minister, Oli became a lightning rod for protester fury. The veteran politician first became prime minister in 2015, before being re-elected in 2018 and reappointed briefly in 2021 in Nepal’s often turbulent parliament.

Source: Punch February 16, 2026 04:59 UTC