Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa met CPN (UML) Chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at Oli's residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, on Tuesday evening, in what marked the first meeting between the two leaders since Thapa was elected president of the Nepali Congress. The conversation lasted about an hour and covered recent political developments and contemporary political issues, with the formation of the government in Madhesh Province also on the agenda, according to sources close to Thapa.

An hour of talks at the Gundu residence

The meeting took place at Oli's private residence in Gundu, in Bhaktapur district on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley. Thapa traveled there on Tuesday evening, and the two leaders are reported to have spoken for roughly an hour without interruption.

The details that have emerged so far have come primarily through sources close to Thapa rather than through a formal statement from either party. Based on that readout, the discussion centered on the following:

  • Recent political developments in the country
  • Contemporary political issues of the day
  • The formation of the government in Madhesh Province

Neither side has outlined the specifics of what was said on each point, and no follow-up engagement has been announced.

What has been confirmed so far

  • Who: Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa and CPN (UML) Chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli
  • When: Tuesday evening
  • Where: Oli's residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur
  • Duration: Approximately one hour
  • Agenda: Recent political developments, contemporary political issues and the Madhesh Province government
  • Significance: The first Thapa-Oli meeting since Thapa's election as Congress president

Madhesh Province government formation in focus

The inclusion of Madhesh Province gives the meeting particular weight. Sources close to Thapa said the two leaders discussed how the province's government could be formed, a question that has long depended on bargaining among the national parties and their provincial units and on the balance of strength in the provincial assembly.

That the Congress president and the UML chair addressed the topic directly suggests it remains a live question between the country's major parties. Sources, however, did not disclose what position either leader took, nor whether any understanding was reached during the conversation. The reporting has also not indicated whether the two leaders explored cooperation, exchanged positions on a possible arrangement, or simply took stock of the situation as it stands.

Provincial government formation in Nepal routinely draws in party leadership at the center, since decisions made in the capital shape what provincial assemblies are able to put together. Madhesh Province, in particular, has seen extended negotiations over ruling arrangements in the past, making the subject a recurring item in talks among top leaders.

First meeting since Thapa took the party helm

The Gundu conversation carries added significance because of its timing. It was the first meeting between Thapa and Oli since Thapa was elected president of the Nepali Congress, putting the two leaders face to face in their current roles: Thapa as the newly chosen head of one of Nepal's largest parties, and Oli as the chair of the CPN (UML) and a former prime minister.

Thapa's election to the Congress presidency marked a leadership transition for the party, and his early interactions with leaders of other parties are being watched as an indication of the direction his stewardship will take. First contacts between a newly elected party president and the top leader of another major party are closely read in Kathmandu's political circles for signals about how the incoming leadership intends to manage relations across party lines. That this meeting took place in a direct, residential setting, and was confirmed through sources rather than an official communiqué, fits the pattern of low-profile leader-level engagement that often precedes more formal dialogue.

A closely watched Congress-UML channel

The Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) are two of Nepal's principal political forces, and contacts between their leaders are habitually scrutinized for hints about alignments ahead of government-making moments at the federal and provincial levels. Meetings held at a leader's private residence and kept to a small circle often serve as a way to sound out positions before any formal negotiation begins.

For Thapa, Tuesday's meeting represents an early piece of cross-party engagement since he took charge of the Congress. For Oli, it provides a direct line to the new leadership of a party whose weight remains decisive in any governing equation in Kathmandu. As reported by RatoPati and News of Nepal, the talks concluded after about an hour, with both sides keeping the substance of the exchange largely private.

For now, the readout remains narrow: an hour-long conversation in Gundu between the Congress president and the UML chair, touching on national political developments, contemporary issues and the make-up of the government in Madhesh Province. Any clearer indication of where the two parties stand, particularly on the provincial government question, will depend on what either side chooses to say next, and on whether similar contacts follow in the days ahead.