KATHMANDU: The Socialist Front, an alliance of opposition parties led by the CPN (Maoist Centre), is holding a key meeting on Tuesday afternoon at the central office of the Unified Socialist in Aloknagar, Kathmandu.
The meeting is expected to review recent political developments and discuss the front’s future course of action, according to Unified Socialist Vice-Chair Jagannath Khatiwada.
This comes amid intensified talks between Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Unified Socialist Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal. The two leaders have held several rounds of discussions over the past two days, with insiders revealing that Prachanda has once again proposed party unification.
Prachanda has been pursuing unity with the Unified Socialist for the past two years, but Madhav Nepal remains hesitant, fearing that any merger could trigger a party split. Internal friction has grown in both parties, weakening their standing and fueling speculation of major political realignments.
In the Unified Socialist, Madhav Nepal is under increasing pressure to resign. Senior party leader Jhala Nath Khanal and lawmaker Ram Kumari Jhakri have publicly called for new leadership, especially as Nepal faces a corruption case in the Special Court and has not been granted official legal representation privileges. Sources say Nepal and his allies are now in a defensive posture as his leadership comes under scrutiny.
On the Maoist side, Prachanda is facing a growing internal revolt. Vice Chair Janardan Sharma has openly accused him, and nearly all former communist prime ministers except the late Man Mohan Adhikari, of engaging in corruption. Sharma’s blunt remarks have triggered a firestorm on social media, fueling a public rift between two of the Maoist party’s top leaders.
Despite Prachanda’s push for unity, Unified Socialist Vice Chair Khatiwada has dismissed the possibility of an immediate merger. “We are not in favor of party unification at this time,” Khatiwada told Khabarhub, asserting that his party will continue its activities through the Socialist Front.
He said the front could eventually evolve into an electoral alliance for the 2084 elections, but admitted it has yet to gain meaningful traction.
Adding to the complexity, top Unified Socialist leaders, including Jhala Nath Khanal, are reportedly more inclined to rejoin CPN-UML rather than merge with the Maoists. This has left Nepal in a dilemma, unable to commit to Prachanda’s proposal.
Prachanda has also explored other alliances. He is said to have held talks with Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’ in hopes of integrating Biplav’s faction into the Maoists, even offering him the post of general secretary.
But sources say senior Maoist leaders, including Janardan Sharma, oppose the move. Meanwhile, efforts to unite with Mahindra Ray Yadav’s Nepal Samajbadi Party have stalled, although Prachanda has succeeded in bringing in a splinter group led by Ganga Lal Shrestha.
As both Prachanda and Nepal face internal dissent and personal political crises, sources close to them say they are under pressure to move toward unification as a survival strategy. However, Nepal’s camp fears that any merger would lead to defections, especially back to the UML. Thus, the push for unity—though ongoing—remains fraught with uncertainty and resistance from within.
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