KATHMANDU, Aug 2: Not only the major parliamentary parties like Nepali Congress, (NC) CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Center), but also smaller parties like CPN (Unified Socialist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) are grappling with internal disputes. When parties fall into internal conflict, political instability in the country becomes more likely.
In the Unified Socialist Party, the recent entry of Bamdev Gautam has triggered disputes after he demanded to lead the party’s Organization Department. The party also remains divided over whether to merge with CPN (Maoist Center) or not.
RPP is also experiencing growing internal discord. The dispute led the private secretary of party chair Rajendra Lingden to misbehave with party cadres. Following the escalation, central member Kishor Bahadur Karki resigned. As the internal conflict in RPP, which is associated with the monarchy restoration movement, intensified, Karki declared his exit from the party.
In the NUP, discord between Resham Chaudhary and his wife Ranjita Shrestha appears to be pushing the party toward division. The Chaudhary faction claimed to have removed Shrestha from the party chair. Shrestha, on the other hand, claimed the decision was illegal and retaliatory.
Gautam’s complaint in Unified Socialist
Just two weeks after joining Unified Socialist, Bamdev Gautam demanded the role of head of 14 organization departments. The current head is party Vice-Chair Beduram Bhusal. Gautam's demand has led to accusations that he aims to take over the party. Gautam said he demanded the position out of eagerness to work actively.
Food crisis looms large as drought hits Madhesh districts
“The Secretariat meeting has not yet decided whether or not to assign the organization department to Gautam. There hasn’t even been a formal discussion. He might have spoken privately with the Chair. A decision will only come after formal deliberation,” said party Vice-Chair Jagannath Khatiwada.
Party leaders are not in favor of giving Gautam the organization portfolio. “He was not brought into the party for that role. He joined unconditionally. The Chair will assign roles at his discretion,” said a party official.
Gautam joined Unified Socialist on July 17 with several associates. After failing to rejoin CPN-UML, despite repeated attempts, he turned to Unified Socialist—formed by leaders who split from UML under Madhav Kumar Nepal’s leadership. Gautam himself is a former UML leader.
On joining the party, Gautam declared it must now move toward socialism. “In 2018, we unified parties to form the Nepal Communist Party. I was very happy then, but the joy didn’t last. Now we must enter the phase of building socialism. If I can be part of that, I will consider my life truly successful,” he said.
He insisted he did not come alone. “I haven’t come alone. Success never comes alone. I’ve brought the support of a 75-member central committee from the National Campaign for Left Unity. I’ve brought support from a provincial committee. There’s also a valley committee with nine district committees. I have support from all of them,” he said. However, Gautam has started to complain that the party denied him the organization department role assuming he came alone.
RPP conflict pushes Karki out
With rising tensions in RPP, elected central member Kishor Bahadur Karki has quit the party. On Thursday, he issued a press release announcing his resignation due to dissatisfaction with the leadership’s autocratic behavior, factionalism, favoritism, and authoritarian approach. He resigned a day after Lingden’s personal secretary Chhatra Kadayat attacked Raju Gaire, a party candidate in the last election.
Gaire, who had contested from Palpa-2(B) for the provincial assembly, had posted critical remarks against Lingden on social media. Kadayat responded by hitting him with a helmet during a tea meeting in Bishalnagar, Kathmandu. Citing this incident, Karki accused the Chair of sidelining dissenting leaders and protecting sycophants. He claimed the leadership is running the party without procedural discipline.
He also alleged the leadership prioritizes positions, power-sharing, and personal deals over ideology—ignoring senior members and handing responsibility to unqualified newcomers. Karki has renounced even general membership and said he will now serve the nation and people independently, without joining any group or party. His departure, as a former Madhesh Province coordinator, party spokesperson, and disciplinary committee secretary, highlights the deepening rift in RPP.
NUP headed toward split
As internal conflict worsens, NUP appears headed for a split. The faction dissatisfied with Chair Ranjita Shrestha organized a national gathering on Thursday. The gathering removed Shrestha and unanimously appointed party patron Resham Chaudhary’s father and MP Lalbir Chaudhary as the new chair. This development heightens the likelihood of a formal split.
At a press conference following the gathering, newly elected Chair Lalbir said the meeting was held to bring the party back on track with proper rules and procedures. “Given the party’s current state, we had to find a way forward,” he said, “The party had been paralyzed for over 18 months due to no meetings. This decision was also necessary to proceed with a candidate for the Rupandehi by-election.”
Another NUP leader said Chair Shrestha ignored a request for a meeting by a majority of central members. “We gave her 24 hours to call a meeting, but when she didn’t respond, this gathering was held with the participation of majority central members, MPs, and local representatives,” the leader said.
After the Resham-aligned faction removed Shrestha not only from the chair but also from general membership, she demanded clarification from MP Gangaram Chaudhary, the party’s parliamentary leader. She asked him to explain within 24 hours why action shouldn’t be taken against him for acting against party interests and violating the party statute and the Political Parties Act. She claimed her health had kept her from being fully active in party affairs and said she had already called a central committee meeting.
_20211006150830.jpg)
