The decision to unify the parties has created tension between the Maoists and the Unified Socialists. Maoist leader Janardan Sharma has expressed a different opinion in writing regarding the unification of the two parties, while respected Unified Socialist leader Jhalanath Khanal and General Secretary Ghanshyam Bhusal have held separate meetings.

The Unified Socialist Party has taken a policy decision to unite with the Maoists on Friday. The Maoists' central secretariat meeting held on Saturday also decided to finalize the unity with the Unified Socialist Party, CPN-Socialist, Jana Samajwadi Party, Nepal Samajwadi Party and Nepal Communist Party (Chiran Pun) groups. 

In the Maoists' secretariat meeting, leader Sharma expressed a different opinion, saying that unity should not be achieved without a broad left unity. He said that he would not go for unity with the Unified Socialist Party and other parties. He has postponed the unity process and urged the party to move forward in a comprehensive reorganization, ideological clarity and pro-people direction. 

Sharma said that it would be wrong to go for party unity while ignoring the demand for a special general convention and selection of leadership through open competition within Mangsir. ‘Unity is being called to circumvent the decision of the Central Committee to hold two general conventions and to select the leadership competitively,’ he said. ‘Such unity will lead the party towards dissolution.’

Leader Sharma has accused the party of abandoning Maoist ideas and identity and trying to surrender to the basic principles of multi-party democracy. ‘Unity that does not strengthen the party, leads to factionalism at the bottom and goes against the spirit of the movement cannot be accepted,’ he told Kantipur. 

Another Maoist leader Agni Prasad Sapkota, however, commented that Sharma’s statement was apolitical and anarchic. ‘Janardanaji’s style is not democratic and political. He said that everyone, including the coordinator (Pushpakamal Dahal), should sit down, discuss, and reach a conclusion, but he did not agree,’ he said. 

Another Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha is also in favor of moving forward with a broad left unity. ‘Unification in a hurry can lead to problems again,’ he had said in the secretariat meeting, ‘It is necessary to move towards unity only after political, ideological and organizational clarity.’

After the meeting, party coordinator Dahal claimed that there would be no opposition even after discussions within the party. ‘The Maoists will remain united until the Central Committee meeting. There will be no landslide in the party,’ he said, ‘Janardanaji will also come.’

There is an understanding that the name of the party formed by the Maoists, Unified Socialists and others will be ‘NCP (Socialist)’. The party with this name has been registered in the name of Raju Karki. Preparations are underway to make the election symbol ‘Tara’, which is the election symbol of the ‘Jana Samajwadi Party’ registered in the name of Subhash Raj Kafle. It is said that Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be the coordinator of the general convention organizing committee formed after the party unification. 

Maoist leader Agni Prasad Sapkota informed that an agreement has been reached on political, ideological and theoretical issues to unite with the Unified Socialists and other parties. ‘The party is about to unite to create an environment for holding elections on time. If the unity is delayed, the nation will be in even more trouble. That is why unity will happen soon,’ he said.

Unified Socialists on the verge of a split

Senior leaders Jhalanath Khanal, General Secretary Ghanshyam Bhusal and others have expressed their disagreement after the Unified Socialists took the policy decision to unite with the Maoists. They met separately on Saturday and have called a central committee meeting of their party to reorganize the party.

Bhusal group leader Damodar Aryal informed that all leaders and cadres will be called upon to stand for the reorganization of the Unified Socialists by holding a meeting. ‘We urge other leftist parties to also reorganize,’ he said.

Khanal and Bhusal, along with Vice President Ghanendra Basnet, Deputy General Secretary Bijay Poudel, Standing Committee members Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Ram Kumari Jhankri, Hari Parajuli, and others participated in the separate meeting held on Saturday. According to leader Aryal, 158 out of 455 members of the central committee claimed to be in favor of the reorganization. 

Some leaders of the Unified Socialist Party, who are opposed to unity with the Maoists, are in talks with the UML. UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has called on disgruntled leaders of the Unified Socialist Party to return home on Friday. ‘Informal talks have already begun with the leaders of the Unified Socialist Party. There is a possibility that Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal’s side will go to the Maoists, while the other side will come to the UML,’ said a UML leader. 

After UML Chairman Oli’s call to return home, respected leader of the Unified Socialist Party, Jhalanath Khanal, has put forward conditions, including abandoning the people’s multi-party democracy and moving towards socialism with Nepali characteristics, and getting a respected position. He also says that there should be an agreement on theoretical and political grounds. But according to a UML leader, Oli is not positive about bringing Khanal and Bhusal in.