KATHMANDU: As talk of left unity resurfaces, senior leaders across Nepal’s communist parties appear to be charting their own paths, forming new alliances and negotiating their political futures.
A number of leaders from the CPN (Unified Socialist), including Ram Kumari Jhakri and Kisan Shrestha, are reportedly preparing to return to their former party, the CPN-UML, while others are looking for a new political home outside both the UML and the newly formed Nepali Communist Party.
A new left front emerges
On November 5, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Jhal Nath Khanal announced the formation of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP).
The trio said the new NCP was created to unify genuine communist forces and offer an ideological alternative to what they called the individual-centric politics within both UML and Maoist factions. The party has since begun talks with several prominent left leaders for broader consolidation.
Bhim Rawal set to join Madhav–Prachanda bloc
Former UML Vice-Chairman Bhim Rawal, expelled from the party in late 2024, is now preparing to align with the newly created Nepali Communist Party (NCP) led by Prachanda, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Jhala Nath Khanal.
Despite UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s recent public call for dissidents to “return home,” Rawal had initially dismissed the appeal. However, after months of political uncertainty and nationwide outreach under his Matribhoomi Jagaran Abhiyan, Rawal has now decided to join the new left bloc.
Speaking to Khabarhub, Rawal confirmed that an agreement is likely this week. “Chairmen Madhav Nepal, Prachanda, and I have been holding discussions. I am not focused on positions but on ideological clarity and our agenda for the people,” he said, hinting that a formal unity announcement could come within this week.
Sources inside the Nepali Communist Party revealed that discussions are underway to appoint Rawal as the party’s General Secretary, although a final decision has yet to be made. A “Grand Party Adjustment Program” has been scheduled for Wednesday at Rastriya Sabha Griha, where Rawal is expected to be welcomed into the party.
According to Madhav Nepal, “Comrade Rawal is in regular contact with us. Our goal is not power but unity among genuine communists to raise a collective voice for the people.”
Bhusal, Biplav, and Janardan to form working alliance
Meanwhile, another stream of left politics is taking shape. Ghanshyam Bhusal (Unified Socialist), Netra Bikram Chand “Biplav” (NCP), and Janardan Sharma, who recently launched his Progressive Campaign Nepal after breaking away from the Maoist Center, have agreed on a working alliance, though not a full party merger yet.
According to Lalit BK, a member of Biplav’s secretariat, “The three leaders have agreed to form an electoral front if a complete unity is not achieved before the elections in February. They want to avoid a premature merger that could lead to another split.”
Bhusal, recently appointed coordinator of the Unified Socialist after a major internal reshuffle, said that while the leaders share ideological common ground, “a full merger requires careful groundwork and alignment with public sentiment.”
Janardan Sharma, who left the Maoist Center on November 3 to form his new progressive platform, has attracted former Maoist Secretary Ram Karki and several central leaders.
Although some of Biplav’s key comrades, such as Chiran Pun, have already joined the new Nepali Communist Party, most of his core organization remains with him.
The left landscape in flux
With Rawal’s imminent entry into the Madhav–Prachanda-led NCP and the Bhusal–Biplav–Janardan working alliance taking shape, Nepal’s fragmented left forces appear to be reorganizing into two competing blocs.
While both claim to pursue ideological clarity and left unity, leaders acknowledge that unresolved differences in leadership and vision could again test the durability of any future merger.
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