This week, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Nepal’s Prime Minister, shocked the nation by — in Sher Bahadur Deuba’s words — “betraying” the Nepali Congress (NC), and leaving other coalition partners in utmost bewilderment.

The NC was uncertain and had no clue about Prachanda’s true intention with his move to make another alliance with the CPN-UML.

That was not all. Prachanda sent ripples through the political arena saying, “Until I draw my last breath, the country will remain in a state of turmoil.”

His tone seemed to carry both warning and a hallow menace when he stated that his party — the Maoist Center — “does not favor the continuity of status-quo and seeks to create a new situation through breaks or interruptions in continuity.”

Whether or not his warning was directed at the NC, it seemed that he aimed to prove that his decision to switch the alliance was driven by his desire to uphold his “forward-looking” character breaking free from the clutches of reactionaries, not what people understand as ‘unpredictable leader’.

A leader like Prachanda, who has led the government for three times as the Prime Minister, should be able to recognize the great potential in Nepal and Nepalis, and should have dreams to take the country to a place of honor, not place the members of his kitchen cabinet to lucrative positions on the basis of political ideology.

Prachanda, often portrayed as over-ambitious leader who makes all possible attempts to seize power at all levels for his narrow interests, along with a section of his coterie, has once again exposed his political shrewdness.

This time, besides to pursue his personal gains, the issue of Transitional Justice might have triggered the move as the Maoist-NC alliance faced challenges in maintaining a shared understanding as concluding the peace process was a matter of “life and death” for the Maoists, particularly for Prachanda.

Another reason could be the lack of support from the NC, according to him, on issues such as Lalita Niwas land grab, fake Bhutanese refugees, and the determination to control corruption, among others.

NC’s General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma said he was “totally perplexed” with the statement.

Nevertheless, he has something to comment on this. “We were accustomed to his nature. But this time, we were left flabbergasted.”

Indeed, making surprising moves is not new for Prachanda. The more surprising move he takes, the more it is dominated by speculation, and conspiracy theories.

However, for Nepali Congress leader Dr. Minendra Rizal, this “betrayal” should be taken as an opportunity to steer NC’s politics in the right direction, as the party has been freed from the shackles of the Maoists.

But until when, Dr Rizal?

If the turn of events are to be analyzed, Prime Minister Dahal appears to have two different personalities — Prachanda, who led the decade-long insurgency as a rebel leader or a “fierce one”, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who got elected to the House of Representatives.

His statement, “Until I draw my last breath, the country will remain in a state of turmoil” is a reflection of Prachanda personality, not Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Prachanda’s move and instability have more questions than answers.

And without having the answers, one thing is certain: Prachanda’s stunning moves have been a game changer in Nepal’s politics since he signed the 12-point agreement with the country’s democratic forces in 2005 and Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006.

Whether or not one might agree, however, Prachanda’s political intuition is remarkable. By acknowledging this, I neither align with his political ideology nor do I have mean to make any personal gains.

Here, I am precisely trying to depict how he skilfully manipulates people’s sentiments through rhetoric for his personal gains.

One issue among them is corruption — the majority of Nepalis believe to be the fundamental root of all evils as his tone of speeches happen to be populist and nationalistic.

Furthermore, he is a shrewd politician who is adept at shaping his image by tapping into the frustrations of the Nepalis people.

But now, in the eyes of his former ally, Sher Bahadur Deuba, he is a betrayer. And remember, Prachanda was once a betrayer for CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli, now an ally.

Perhaps, like Deuba, Oli, too got a better deal this time!

For those, who once believed Prachanda would no longer be the dominant political figure in Nepal’s politics, the developments this week came as a shock.

Given the situation, Prachanda’s role might require a redefinition to put the interest of Nepal and Nepalis first rather than his political or personal interest or for accumulating wealth.

To recall, the Maoist Center contested the November 2022 elections forging an electoral alliance with the Nepali Congress and other parties to win 32 seats in the House of Representatives as the third largest party.

A leader like Prachanda, who has led the government for three times as the Prime Minister, should be able to recognize the great potential in Nepal and Nepalis, and should have dreams to take the country to a place of honor, not place the members of his kitchen cabinet to lucrative positions on the basis of political ideology.

In fact, Prachanda dubbed his clandestine move as a strategic step owing to the differences that emerged with the NC.

But if Dr. Minendra Rizal’s remarks are to be considered, Prachanda would have broken the alliance with NC anytime in the near future.

However, if Prachanda’s arguments are to be considered, the situation had reached the point where the national politics sought an alternative to the ruling coalition.

Interestingly, Madhav Kumar Nepal, a trusted ally of Prachanda, did not sense the latter’s move.

Now, the current “allies”, including Oli, Rabi Lamichhane and Upendra Yadav, need to understand when and how Prachanda will take another clandestine move since this is his third time that he has changed his allies in just 18 months.

To recall, the Maoist Center contested the November 2022 elections forging an electoral alliance with the Nepali Congress and other parties to win 32 seats in the House of Representatives as the third largest party.

In December 2022, he became the Prime Minister with the backing of CPN-UML.

In no time, he forged an alliance with Nepali Congress.

Yet, he keeps on advocating for good governance and political stability. The rest is history!

Also Read:

https://english.khabarhub.com/2024/04/344052/