Kathmandu, September 5

The clash between the executive heads of the two levels of government has resurfaced as a topic of public debate, with netizens appearing to support Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah 'Balen' following 'unfollow' Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's Facebook page trend.

In the wake of growing animosity between Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) and the CPN-UML, Balen supporters have launched an unfollow campaign against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Oli's official Facebook page had 662,000 followers. However, following the recent campaign, his follower count had fallen to 589,000 by Wednesday evening, a 73,000 decrease in just 36 hours. However, the Oli Facebook page gained 1000 followers today, bringing its total to 590,000.

Meanwhile, Mayor Balen's official Facebook page reached 2.1 million followers- the highest amongst any political leaders so far in Nepal. Until Tuesday morning Balen's followers on Facebook were only 2 million.

The campaign was sparked by allegations from Balen supporters that the government had removed a post critical of a UML MP. Balen responded to the removal by posting, 'Do not take down the post; arrest the accused. If I am wrong, apprehend me; if not, apprehend the perpetrator.'

This resulted in his supporters actively unfollowing Prime Minister Oli. A dispute has also erupted between the UML and Balen over the clearance of a 20-metre stretch of the Kathmandu riverbank. The UML has protested the move by submitting a memorandum to the Kathmandu Metropolis.

Deepak Niraula, president of the UML Kathmandu, submitted a 7-point memorandum warning the KMC that if the KMC is implementing the decision, unusual circumstances will arise, potentially leading to serious repercussions.

The issue has also reached the Kathmandu municipal council, where Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol and several ward presidents chastised Balen during a meeting on Tuesday.

On the other hand, netizens have had mixed reactions to the 'unfollow KP Oli trend' on social media. Many have supported Balen and criticised Oli, claiming that Oli does not deserve to be followed, while others have emphasised that it makes no difference who has the most followers on social media.

Sahitya Premi Salin wrote, 'May corruption in the country decrease like K P Sharma Oli's flowers!'

'Do you become a leader by accumulating Facebook followers?' asked Biswo Poudel.

He quoted Ganeshman Singh, who famously quipped, 'A leader never considers how many people support him. He is sometimes alone, and sometimes he is followed by millions of people. You become a celebrity by gaining followers. You do not become a leader.'

Poudel's post has been shared by a number of social media influencers and journalists, including senior journalists Tika Ram Yatri and Prakash Singh.

Meanwhile, Ramkumari Jhakri, a member of the CPN (US) Politburo, responded that UML President KP Sharma Oli's followers would be doubled if only UML party members followed him.

'Even if only the organised members of the UML party followed, the president's followers would be double what they are now,' she writes. 'Reference: The Unfollow Campaign.'