KATHMANDU: The Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal faction of the CPN-UML has decided to intensify their campaign to expand parallel committees in the party.

An informal meeting of lawmakers and Central Committee (CC) members of the UML’s Nepal-Khanal faction that ran for the past two days in Kalanki has reached a conclusion to implement the 17-point resolution adopted from the national cadres’ meet held from March 17-18.

As per their decision, they will continue their struggle inside the party by forming parallel committees to reorganize the party, will strive for unification among communist forces and will not surrender to the incumbent leadership.

After the Supreme Court ordered the revival of UML and Maoist Center, the faction has been lobbying to legitimize party committees that existed on May 16, 2018, before the two parties merged to form Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

Meanwhile, on March 12, 2021, UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Oli amended the parliamentary party statute and inducted 23 Maoist leaders into theUML CC. He also divested leaders close to the Nepal-Khanal faction off key responsibilities from the party.

The Nepal-Khanal faction has demanded that PM Oli revoke his decisions, however, the UML Chair indicated that it would not happen at the parliamentary party meeting held last Friday. Meanwhile, the PM also said that the clarifications submitted by leaders Nepal and Bhim Rawal was unacceptable and the party could initiate further action against them.

Saturday, PM’s Press Advisor Surya Thapa floated an idea that Nepal and Rawal needed to be suspended from party’s CC for six months to run a party cleansing campaign.

According to Nepal-Khanal faction’s CC member Thakur Gaire, the faction will struggle for unity without surrendering to the party leadership.