Prachanda, Leading Party for 28 Years, States: ‘I Have No Desire to Cling to Leadership’

Chairman of CPN (Maoist Center) and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who has been leading the party since its establishment, stated that he is not eager to retain leadership indefinitely.

Speaking at the Statute Convention of the party on Tuesday, Chairman Prachanda expressed his willingness to step down if presented with compelling arguments and evidence.

“If any comrade presents valid arguments and evidence, I have no desire to cling to leadership,” he said.

Additionally, he urged all leaders and activists involved in the Maoist People’s War to unite promptly.

“I appeal to all leaders and cadres engaged in the Maoist People’s War to come together under a unified front and center without delay,” he stated.

Chairman Prachanda has retained leadership of the party since its founding in 2052 BS, transitioning from the then Maoists to the present Maoist center.

Following years of involvement in the party, participation in the Maoist armed struggle, and engagement in the peace process, key leaders such as Mohan Baidya, CP Gajurel, Baburam Bhattarai, and Netra Bikram Chand parted ways with the party due to disagreements with Chairman Prachanda’s leadership style.

As the party’s size diminished, Prachanda, as Chairman of the Maoist Center, merged the party with the UML, forming the Nepal Communist Party, initially becoming the second Chairman due to his desire to retain leadership.

However, faced with the dominance of the UML faction and the threat of losing leadership, Prachanda restructured the Maoist center.

Even after these changes, individuals such as Lekhraj Bhatta, Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’, and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who were elected as members of parliament from the Maoists, joined the UML due to dissatisfaction with Prachanda’s leadership style.

Presently, a faction within the Maoist party remains dissatisfied with Prachanda’s leadership, citing concerns such as nepotism and other vested interests within the Maoist center.