After the CPN-ML party received recognition as a parliamentary party with the support of more than 40 percent of the parliamentarians, the UML was formally split on 22 Falgun 2054. On 29 Falgun 2054, the ML elected a central committee with Sahana Pradhan as the chairperson of the CPN-ML and Bamdev Gautam as the general secretary. At that time, the UML, the largest party in the parliament, was divided, and its impact was felt throughout the country. Fraternal organizations were divided, while well-wishers and supporters were confused. Both the UML and the ML had launched a campaign to rally cadres on their side on the issue of whether the party division was right or wrong. Both parties had organized gatherings and meetings across the country and their leaders were running around. But incidents like attacking leaders, smearing black masks and pelting stones at meetings and conferences were happening from place to place on both sides. The leaders were abusing each other. The apolitical views expressed while blaming each other for the party split were fueling the internal conflict. The MLA leaders were saying that the UML would soon be cleared. The UML leaders accused the MLA leaders of being monarchist, right-wing, provocative, and corrupt.

UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal had made serious allegations against MLA General Secretary Gautam, leaders CP and Radhakrishna Mainali. At a cadre training organized in Syangja on Chaitra 15, 2011, CP had said that King Mahendra had praised him and was against the 2011 movement. Nepal had accused the CP of supporting the King's declaration of a peace zone in 2011 and of considering King Mahendra a skilled politician after the 2011 incident. He had termed Gautam's nationalism as fake nationalism. Nepal had accused CP, Radhakrishna and Gautam of amassing immense wealth with the help of smugglers and mafia. UML leaders had been making similar allegations against ML leaders across the country. UML had announced that it would launch a crackdown campaign against ML and it. UML leaders had made statements like ‘we must continue the fight against Bamdev and CP’.

The leaders’ lives are in danger

After the party split, the physical security of the leaders was challenged. They had planned to physically attack each other. UML cadres had pelted stones at ML General Secretary Gautam in Kawasoti, Nawalparasi on Chaitra 15. General Secretary Gautam had suffered injuries on his back and head. UML workers had gathered in large numbers with black flags and chanted slogans like 'Bamdev is a thief, leave the country,' 'Give back the votes of the sun,' and 'Corrupt MPs should resign.' UML workers had tried to stop Gautam from speaking at a program organized by the party and even cut the wires of the microphone. But Gautam spoke for 10 minutes at the program.

Gautam had criticized UML workers for being intolerant. He had said that if he wanted, he would not allow General Secretary Nepal and KP Oli to set foot in 50 districts. Gautam had pointed at UML workers and said, 'Nepali nationalism cannot fall if they raise slogans by taking money from American imperialism and Indian hegemony.' He had accused UML workers of not having the patience to listen to different views. He had claimed that 63 district committees of Male had been formed and there were 45,000 workers. At the program, he called UML leaders traitors and announced that UML would be wiped out from Nepal after a year. 

  While returning from the program, he was attacked by police inspector Dhiraj Pratav Singh, three policemen, MAL workers and some journalists.  The police resorted to lathi-charge in the incident. 

Attack on UML leaders 

  MAL workers had attacked UML leaders and workers at various places.  UML leaders Pradeep Gyawali and Modnath Prasrit were attacked and injured at a program organized in Butwal on Chaitra 17. Leaders Gyawali and Prasrit were injured in the attack led by MAL student leader Rupnarayan Shrestha.  UML Central Secretariat Secretary Pradeep Nepal had published a statement saying that the attack was carried out with the intention of killing. According to the statement, dust was thrown into Prashrit's eyes. Similarly, a piece of window glass was used to try to break his neck, and a chain, rod and bench leg were used to hit him, the statement issued by Nepal stated.

At an interaction program for intellectuals organized by the municipal committee in Butwal itself, ML activists attacked Prashrit and beat him with a mobile phone. Gyawali was physically attacked. The attackers fled the scene in a van. Student leader Rupnarayan was suspended from the party membership on charges of violating discipline at the national convention in Nepalgunj. He was openly supporting Gautam.

The power game began

The split in the UML had revived attempts to change the government. Especially after the UML weakened, the game of forming a government under the leadership of the Congress by removing Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa moved forward. The issue of Prime Minister Thapa handing over power smoothly had been raised before the split of UML. After the split of UML, Congress became the largest party. The split between RPP and UML sent a negative message to the public that the parties were dividing their party for power.

All the parties had told the then President Girija Prasad Koirala that they supported the Congress to come to power after he was weakened. At that time, Koirala was keen to become the Prime Minister. For that, the Congress said that Thapa should hand over power smoothly. Kantipur Daily had published news for a week continuously focusing on the fight between ML and UML. Kantipur had published a news on Chaitra 16, 2011 under the headline Stones thrown at UML General Secretary. Similarly, news was published on Chaitra 18 under the headlines ‘Pro-Court mentality is dominant in ML’ and ‘Attack on UML leaders Gyawali and Pashit by ML cadres’.