KATHMANDU, July 16: CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has tried to revive the Socialist Front, an alliance of small like-minded political parties with socialist orientation, immediately after he was forced to step down as the prime minister.
The Socialist Front, which Dahal himself formed to cement his position at the helm of the government, is once again in the limelight after the CPN-UML unexpectedly withdrew support to Dahal’s government, which fell into minority.
In an attempt to reorganize the scattered forces of the Socialist Front, Dahal convened a meeting of the Front on Tuesday at the central office of CPN (Unified Socialist)-led by Madhav Kumar Nepal in Aloknagar.
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The meeting was attended by several prominent political figures, including Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary Ghanshyam Bhusal, Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Netra Bikram Chand, Mahendra Raya Yadav of the Nepal Socialist Party, Maoist Center Vice Chairman Agni Prasad Sapkota, and General Secretary Dev Gurung, among others.
Dahal had conceptualized the Socialist Front while he was heading the government with the support of the Nepali Congress. The idea was to get the backing of the constituents of the Front in case the NC decided to withdraw support to the Dahal government. The constituent parties of the Socialist Front include the CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party led by Upendra Yadav, and the CPN led by Netra Bikram Chand, with Chand serving as the coordinator. This coalition was established on 19 June 2023.
However, the unity of the Socialist Front suffered a setback when Dahal forged an alliance with the UML on March 4, 2024 without prior consultation with the CPN-Unified Socialist, a break-away faction of the UML which is at odds with the mother party.
There were discussions about including the UML in the Socialist Front, but UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli rejected the idea, describing it as an unreasonable front.
Now, with Oli heading the government backed by the Nepali Congress, the revival of the Socialist Front has once again become a priority for political strategists and leaders seeking to consolidate socialist-oriented forces in Nepal. Dahal's renewed efforts signal a strategic move to strengthen his political influence and unify like-minded parties in the evolving political landscape.
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