Nepal: Ahead of March Elections, Former PM Prachanda Brings Together 10 Parties Under One Fold

Kathmandu: Seeking to consolidate his political base after recent turmoil, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has brought together 10 communist parties to form a new organisation called the Nepali Communist Party. 

The unification, however, excludes KP Sharma Oli’s CPN(UML), which is the largest communist party, and which was ousted from power following Gen-Z protests in September. Several fringe communist groups have also stayed out of the new formation.

The 10 parties that formed the new Nepali Communist Party include the CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist), Nepal Communist Party, CPN (Socialist), Nepal Socialist Party, Janasamajbadi Party, CPN (Maoist-Socialist), CPN (Communism), CPN (Maoist) and Deshbhakta Samajbadi Morcha.

Most of the smaller groups are splinter factions of the Maoist and CPN (UML) parties formed over the past decade. After joining mainstream politics 15 years ago, the Maoist party fragmented several times, and the current merger marks a return of many former members who had failed to establish independent political bases.

The announcement was made on November 5 in Kathmandu, where top leaders urged other left parties to join the new platform. Party leaders said the name “Nepali Communist Party” was inspired by the Communist Parties of India and China. 

Addressing the ceremony, Dahal described the merger as a historic moment for Nepal’s communist movement, noting that it was the first time 10 parties had come together. He claimed the step would also help address the political instability facing the country.

The CPN (Maoist Centre) was the third-largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives with 32 seats, while the CPN (Unified Socialist) held ten. The remaining eight groups had no parliamentary representation. 

This is the second major attempt to consolidate Nepal’s left forces since 2018, when the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) merged to form a powerful communist bloc that later collapsed in 2021 amid power-sharing disputes.

Party ambitions

Although the unification is unlikely to have an immediate impact on national politics, analysts believe it strengthens Dahal’s position ahead of the March 5 national elections. The move is expected to increase his bargaining power with the CPN (UML) in the event of a possible left alliance. It may also bolster his influence in future negotiations on power-sharing. Observers see the development as a continuation of Dahal’s long-standing strategy of uniting smaller leftist factions when out of government.

The merger follows unprecedented Gen-Z protests that brought down the Oli-led government and triggered growing public calls for senior leaders of major parties to step aside in favour of a new generation. However, the latest unification indicates that such a transition is unlikely soon, as the same group of veteran leaders continues to dominate the party hierarchy.

According to the document signed by the ten parties, the guiding principle of the new organisation will be Marxism-Leninism. It aims to establish what it calls “scientific socialism with Nepali characteristics,” without elaborating on the term – a familiar slogan in communist circles in Nepal. The party has expressed support for Nepal’s current constitution and demanded the creation of a high-level probe committee to investigate the assets of leaders who held power after 1990. It has also pledged to respond to the demands raised by the Gen-Z movement.

Leaders said the party plans to pursue its political objectives through peaceful protests in parliament and on the streets, although no immediate demonstrations have been scheduled. The group has reached a consensus to contest the March 5 elections if the government ensures a safe environment for free and fair polls. 

While the CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress remain undecided about participation, Dahal has already announced his intention to contest, confident that the weakened state of both major parties after the protests will work in his favour.

Prominent members

Among the 10 signatories are three prominent figures and former prime ministers – Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal. 

Nepal, who led the CPN (UML) for 15 years as general secretary, split from the party in 2021 after a dispute with Oli to form the CPN (Unified Socialist). Although both Nepal and Khanal had expressed interest in returning to the CPN (UML), Oli ruled out a formal reunion, saying that only individual leaders or groups could return, not entire parties. 

The personal animosity between Oli and Nepal proved a major obstacle to left unity, eventually prompting Nepal to ally with Dahal. Another senior figure is Bam Dev Gautam, a former leader of the CPN (UML) and later the CPN (Unified Socialist).

Under the new structure, Dahal serves as coordinator while Nepal is the deputy coordinator. The parties have agreed to hold a unification convention within six years. 

Rifts

The latest unification has caused internal rifts within both the Maoist Centre and the CPN (Unified Socialist). Senior Maoist leader Janardhan Sharma, who had long urged Dahal to step down as party chair, resigned in protest, criticising Dahal’s decision to merge with other factions. 

Similarly, divisions have emerged within the Unified Socialist, with one faction led by Madhav Nepal joining the new alliance, another preparing to return to the CPN (UML), and a third exploring the creation of a separate left platform.

Despite repeated calls from younger and second-rung party members across parties for a broader communist consolidation, deep personal rivalries among senior leaders – KP Sharma Oli, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal, all former prime ministers – remain the main obstacle. 

The collapse of the powerful left alliance in 2021 and the subsequent dissolution of parliament, triggered by power-sharing disputes, still casts a shadow over efforts to rebuild unity. Oli continues to reject a formal merger, inviting instead individual leaders and cadres from other parties to join the CPN (UML).

If elections take place as scheduled, an electoral alliance between the CPN (UML) and the newly formed Nepali Communist Party cannot be ruled out. There is also the possibility of cooperation between the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML), which governed together before the Gen-Z protests.

 The renewed left unity is also seen as favourable to Beijing, which has long encouraged the emergence of a strong communist-led government in Nepal.

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