Almost four years after they left the UCPN (Maoist) to form a separate Maoist party led by the ideologue Mohan Baidya, some key leaders are planning to return home, defecting from the CPN-Maoist. And the “homecoming” campaign is led by Ram Bahadur Thapa, Baidya’s lieutenant. The reason they want to quit the CPN-Maoist: Irreconcilable differences. Thapa, one of the architects of the Maoist “people’s war”, on Tuesday endorsed a political document through an informal meeting of the party’s Central Committee (CC), seeking unity with the UCPN (Maoist). The Badal faction has decided to wait for a few more days for a formal decision on account of ongoing negotiations within and outside the party. Badal’s move has pushed the Baidya-led CPN-Maoist, which was formed in June 2012, on the brink of yet another split. Negotiations on merger between the two Maoist parties have been going on for quite some time, but Baidya is said to have been reluctant to return to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led Maoist party, citing ideological differences.
CPN-Maoist Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal, who is said to be close to Thapa, said that the CC “has agreed to go for unification even if Baidya stands against it”. Thapa had presented a 14-point document in the CC meet, outlining the unity proposal. Those who are for unity with the mother Maoist party say they have majority in the 199-member CC. “Our first priority is to go for unification under the leadership of party chairman [Baidya]. We have decided to wait for a few days to convince him. If that fails, the unification process will start,” said Bhusal, adding that the [Badal] faction would take a formal decision after negotiations with Baidya”. Thapa enjoys support of some key leaders including Dev Gurung, Bhusal, Hitman Shakya and Lekhnath Neupane. They had parted ways with the UCPN (Maoist) in June 2012 soon after the dissolution of the first Constituent Assembly.
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