Bhisma Raj Andembe: Who Is the Nepali Congress Leader Gaining Attention After His Speech in Parliament?
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The Nepali Congress, now the main opposition in the House of Representatives, has taken its time before appointing Bhisma Raj Andembe as the parliamentary party leader. His recent speech in Parliament on Wednesday has brought him into the spotlight.
Following the defeat of senior Congress leaders including party chairman Gagan Thapa, the Nepali Congress was reduced to the second-largest party in the House with only 38 seats, while the Rastriya Swatantra Party holds nearly two-thirds of the majority. In the previous Parliament, the Congress was the largest party.
Previously a member of the Constituent Assembly, Andembe was this time elected to the Federal Parliament through the proportional representation system.
There were some doubts about whether Andembe could strengthen the voice of the opposition party. However, his address in the first session of Parliament has captured many people’s attention.
Clips of Andembe’s speech are now widely circulated on social media.
Analysts and leaders consider his clear and meaningful speech targeting the ruling party, its leaders, the Prime Minister, and the Speaker significant.
Gaining Attention Through Parliamentary Speech
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Since the elections held after the September People’s Movement, most of the older parties suffered defeats, leaving opposition parties limited to 93 seats in Parliament.
With many prominent leaders from Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and Nepal Communist Party absent, new and previously less-known leaders from traditional parties have had opportunities to speak in Parliament.
Former Minister and UML leader Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, who defeated Andembe for the position of Free Student Union secretary at Nepal Law Campus in 1986 (B.S. 2043), says Andembe has been a good orator since his student days.
“He was a good speaker during his student politics. Because of his reserved nature and lack of desire for fame, he was overshadowed by more prominent leaders,” Dhakal said.
Rajendra Phuyal, former secretary of the National Assembly, explains that Andembe’s use of vivid imagery in his speech likely contributed to its popularity amidst analyses of a weak opposition voice in Parliament.
“He used the parliamentary language and imagery that Parliament expects. It is important to convey the message exactly and maintain decorum in language. In that respect, his speech was exemplary in many ways, though he made one slip,” Phuyal said.
The slip pertained to the election of the Speaker, according to Phuyal.
‘Grandson of Former Minister’
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Currently 61 years old, Andembe was elected to the House of Representatives through proportional representation. He was also a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2013 (B.S. 2070) from Panchthar. He now serves as the Prime Minister of the shadow government.
According to his personal secretary Yam Dhungana, Andembe’s political journey began in 1979 (B.S. 2036) during a prayer meeting at Fidim Secondary School in Panchthar, where he stood against the Panchayat system wearing a black headband.
His grandfather, Deuman Andembe, was Finance Minister in the Tank Prasad Acharya cabinet in 1956 (B.S. 2013). His uncle, Prem Raj, was Deputy Minister in the government of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala in 1958 (B.S. 2015). His father, Dharmendra Raj Andembe, was also a local leader.
However, since 1999 (B.S. 2056), Andembe has run in several elections but lost four times in parliamentary contests. After winning in the second Constituent Assembly election, he chaired the Industry, Commerce, Supply, and Consumer Protection Committee, but was unsuccessful in later elections.
He has also been a three-time central committee member and once served as deputy general secretary of the Nepali Congress. After Sher Bahadur Deuba divided the Congress, Andembe became district chairman of Panchthar.
However, knowledgeable Congress leaders say he moved closer to the founding group of Gagan Thapa and Bishwprakash Sharma, leaving Deuba’s faction during a special general convention.
During his time at Nepal Law Campus, frequent conflicts and clashes occurred between the Nepal Student Union and ANERASWABI. However, UML leader Dhakal notes that Andembe never participated in these fights.
Opposition Leader Who Irritated the Ruling Party
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Shortly after Andembe’s speech on Wednesday, Patrapaksha’s review by Banskota pointed out a violation of parliamentary rules.
Banskota, who also hails from Panchthar, accused some of Andembe’s words of violating the rules. Her father, former State Minister for Home Affairs Deepak Prasad Banskota, was once a political mentor to Andembe.
Towards the end of his address, Andembe questioned the role of the Speaker.
The sarcastic style he used provoked immediate dissatisfaction among ruling party MPs, including RSWPA chairman Ravi Lamichhane.
Phuyal said that the ruling party MPs thumping tables to express symbolic protest while Andembe was speaking is a rare incident in Nepal’s parliamentary history.
“The opposition is violating parliamentary decorum and the ruling party is also intolerant,” he said.
“It is not appropriate for ruling party MPs to resort to such protests in Parliament.”
Phuyal also noted that opposition MPs often engage in activities against parliamentary practices when protesting in the House.
“The ruling party must not make the mistake of considering the Speaker as being on their side only, because the Speaker belongs neither to the ruling party nor the opposition,” he added.
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