Kathmandu, May 22 -- After prolonged political theatrics, Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday at midnight dissolved Parliament and announced early elections even while the country reeled under a ferocious Covid-19 resurgence.

She made the decision at the recommendation of Prime Minister K P Oli after there weretwo conflicting claims to form the next governmentfrom Oli himself, and from a coalition led by four-time prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress (NC).

Despite the late hour, the decision was widely condemned in Nepal's public sphere with many commentators accusing Oli of showing authoritarian tendencies and 'cheating'. The decision has also dragged President Bhandari into controversy for not defending...