The line of revolt and state capture, floated by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, fared poorly at the CC after the moderates led by Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai also threw their weight behind Dahal´s proposal.
The fact that most of the new entrants have joined either the Dahal or Bhattarai factions has helped the line of peace and constitution gain a majority. [break]
As of Monday, around 60 CC members have backed the peace and constitution line and the rest, from the Baidya faction, support the line of revolt.
Baidya has the support of three members in the Standing Committee including CP Gajurel, Dev Gurung and Netra Bikram Chand, while Bhattarai has the support of Dinanath Sharma and Top Bahadur Rayamaji.
Similarly, Dahal has the support of Narayankaji Shrestha, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Post Bahadur Bogati, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Giriraj Mani Pokharel and Barsaman Pun. Two other members, Amik Serchan and Lilamani Pokharel, are neutral.
In the 47-member politburo, Baidya has the support of 12 members including Indra Mohan Sigdel, Dharmendra Bastola, Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, Kul Prasad KC, Hari Bhakta Kandel, Pampha Bhusal, Hitman Shakya and Narayan Sharma Poudel, besides Gurung, Gajurel and Baidya himself.
In the 148-member CC, Baidya has the support of some 50 members.
Most Maoist leaders and cadres who joined the party after the peace process started have been in the Dahal and Bhattarai factions and that is why these two leaders command such a huge majority.
Ever since the peace process began, around half a dozen fringe parties have joined the Maoist party, and very few of their leaders are in Baidya´s faction.
But Hark Bahadur Shahi from the Workers Peasants Party, Ram Acharya from CPN (ML-Revolutionary) and Krishna Bhujhel from CPN (United) are in the Baidya faction.
Of the 31 CC members who joined the party from the CPN (Unity Center-Masal), Kishan Sharma alone is in the Baidya faction. Three memers, Ghanashyam Sharma Poudel, Sashi Shrestha and Dharma Chandra Lawati, are neutral.
From this group Amik Sherchan, Lilamani Pokherel, Dharma Chandra Lawati, Shashi Shrestha, Ghanshyam Sharma Paudel stand on a middle path.
Baidya has the support of those who lost near and dead ones and suffered the most during the insurgency but are not beneficiaries of the peace process.
Baidya accuses the new entrants of being opportunists who joined the party out of vested interests.
"Many of them are real estate brokers and run foreign employment businesses. They have bank balances and own houses and land,” says a leader close to Baidya.
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