Unified Socialist in crisis as leaders, cadres flock back to UML

However, Unified Socialist leaders dismissed the defections and argued that it is normal for people to change parties. They admitted that many of their leaders have left the party, but some others are citing Ghanashyam Bhusal’s joining the Unified Socialist as an example. Bhusal, a former UML deputy general secretary, joined the Unified Socialist in January and he was appointed general secretary in March.

Socialist in January and he was appointed general secretary in March.

“People come and go. It’s true that more people are deserting our party. Now, we are working hard to strengthen our organisational base,” said Jagannath Khatiwada, spokesperson of the party. “We will soon come up with our plans to give momentum to the party.”

A group of UML leaders led by former chief of the same party Madhav Kumar Nepal split the largest communist party of the country to form the CPN (Unified Socialist) in August 2021. They split the party protesting against UML chair KP Sharma Oli’s decision to dissolve the House of Representatives twice and arguing that their move was imperative to safeguard the constitution. However, the Nepal-led party is currently struggling to stop its leaders and cadres from flocking back to the old party.

Nepal had the support of some 30 lawmakers and 55 central committee members of the UML when he was preparing to split the party. But his support base started decreasing right from the beginning and the trend still continues, according to observers.

The party’s third-in-command Kedar Neupane, who served as vice-chair, returned to the UML on June 4 along with another vice-chair Keshav Lal Shrestha.

Previously, Neupane had presented a 33-point dissent at the party's central committee meeting urging the party to pursue a broader left unity by including the UML. He also warned that failure to do so could result in the party’s collapse. But the Unified Socialist leadership dismissed the suggestion.

Reference

https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2023/07/27/unified-socialist-in-crisis-as-leaders-cadres-flock-back-to-uml