Even as the national consensus continues to be a favourite pastime in Nepali politics, the country’s largest party faces its worst crisis ever.
The division in the party has come out in the open and spread from the centre down to the villages – with three factions flexing their muscles.
Politburo member Devendra Poudel is candid enough, “The UCPN has already split. It is only that none has dared to make it public.”
The bluntness of the pro-Baburam Bhattarai leader is shared by the leaders of the factions led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Mohan Vaidya ‘Kiran’.
While Chairman Prachanda faction blames the two vice-chairmen for the crisis in the party, the latter hold Prachanda responsible.
Said a pro-Kiran leader, Haribhakta Kadel, “it’s up to Prachanda whether he wants the party to remain united.”
For this he will have to give up his current line of priority to peace and constitution and the executive authority of the party.
He is not willing to give up any.
This is why he has called an urgent central committee meeting where he hopes to have his way at the cost of the two vice chairmen.
The central committee meeting due next week is sure to witness a key battle between the Prachanda faction and the factions led by the two vice-chairmen, although it may not necessarily be a decisive one.
Bhattarai and Kiran factions have own mutual differences, but they are one to keep what they see as the opportunistic and arbitrary Prachanda in check.