KATHMANDU: The national unity campaign led by former UML vice-chair Bamdev Gautam has fractured, with several central committee members breaking away to forge a new path.
On Sunday, a group of prominent leaders, including vice-chair Mahendra Aryal, Karnali province in-charge Dilliraj Bhattarai, Koshi province in-charge Indra Subba, and Madhesh province in-charge Hari Kafle, announced their departure from the campaign at a press conference at the Reporters Club Nepal.
Aryal, who also serves as the Lumbini province in-charge of the national unity campaign, revealed the group’s decision to pursue talks with the Maoist Center and other leftist parties with shared views for potential unity and integration.
A four-member negotiation committee has been formed, with Aryal appointed as its coordinator. The team also includes Kafle, Subba, and Bhattarai. The move signals a shift in the political landscape as these leaders aim to align with like-minded factions for further political consolidation.
The split follows Bamdev Gautam’s recent engagement with the Unified Socialists and his subsequent signals of rejoining the UML. Leaders have suggested that Gautam’s insistence on an unconditional return to UML was a key factor in the division. In their view, the Maoists are seen as a more progressive force than the UML.
This division reflects a broader political realignment within the campaign. Previously, Yubaraj Safal had expelled Gautam from the Unified Socialist National Campaign upon its formation in June 2022, which led to the formation of the unity campaign’s secretariat. However, Safal has since exited the campaign as well.
In the wake of the UML Central Committee meeting from January 5 to 7, which opened the door for former party members to return, Gautam appears to be gravitating toward UML.
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