CPN-Maoist General Secretary Netra Bikram Chand has discussed collaboration with CPN leader Barshaman Pun. Since Pun's constituency is also Rolpa, Chand will contest from Kapilvastu-3 if there is a collaboration.
What you should know
CPN (Maoist) General Secretary Netra Bikram Chand is running for the House of Representatives for the first time. After ten years of armed war, a peace process, two years of underground life, and 18 years of peaceful political journey, he is preparing to enter the electoral fray for the first time.
After the peace process, top leaders including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were candidates in the 2006 Constituent Assembly elections. But Chand did not show interest. He did not even want to become a member of the Constituent Assembly through proportional representation.
Even when the Maoists became a powerful party after the first Constituent Assembly elections, he did not take any privileged positions. He agreed with the policy of seizing power through rebellion under the leadership of the then Vice-President Mohan Vaidya, and took the risk of launching another rebellion after the peace process. But that rebellion did not progress. Seeing no possibility of rebellion, he entered peaceful politics.
After entering peaceful politics, he launched a new campaign to build a 'people's base'. The CPN (Maoist) led by Chand has started agricultural production by adopting the policy of 'building the basis of socialism through agricultural revolution'. He has started farming on about five hundred bighas. Last year, he gave a message to businessman Binod Chaudhary that he had started commercial production by selling two lakh kilos of potatoes. He has also run a garment and a mart, saying that party leaders and workers will become self-reliant. The Maoists are preparing to enter the fray with the rose flower as their election symbol.
General Secretary Chand said that the main slogan of the Maoists in the House of Representatives elections to be held on Falgun 21 is the agricultural revolution. 'There is an election issue that we should enter into extensive industrialization including an agricultural revolution to make the country self-reliant in the economic sector,' he said. The Maoists are demanding strict laws to control corruption and demonetization of five hundred and one thousand rupee notes. He is preparing to file his candidacy from Rolpa or Kapilvastu Constituency No. 3, his home district, which is also the party headquarters. He said that it was a different experience to contest elections for the first time. ‘It is natural to have a different experience when you are a candidate for the first time,’ he said, ‘That’s right. There are many suggestions from the people. I think it will be good in this election.’
After the Maoist Center changed its name, Chand is preparing to enter the election field with that name. He has adopted a policy of winning the election by embracing the Maoist trend. But he has already started discussions to enter the election by collaborating with the left. He has discussed collaboration with NCP leader Barshaman Pun. Since Pun’s constituency is also Rolpa, if there is collaboration, Chand will be a candidate from Kapilvastu-3.
‘There have been some discussions with leaders of the Nepali Communist Party to cooperate. We have had very preliminary discussions,' he said, 'We propose that if we can unite all the communists, we should cooperate to find a solution to the problems that are emerging in the current politics.'
Chand claims that the CPN (Maoist), which is contesting elections for the first time, will emerge as a leftist force in the country from the elections.
After separating from the Maoist Center under the leadership of then Vice President Mohan Vaidya in Asad 2069, Chand and other leaders had adopted a strategy of launching a mass uprising. The group formed another Maoist party. After Vaidya's mass uprising failed, Chand separated from Vaidya in Mangsir 2071 and formed the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). After that, Chand and other leaders started a paramilitary struggle and went underground. The then government had filed a case against him.
On Falgun 28, 2075, the then KP Sharma Oli government had banned the CPN. Six people, including police officers, teachers, and civilians, lost their lives due to the NCP's violent activities. Twelve NCP cadres died. More than 100 NCP cadres were charged with violent activities. One and a half dozen cadres are still in jail on various charges.
The Oli government lifted the ban on the NCP after it pledged to engage in peaceful political competition. After the government and the NCP reached a three-point agreement on 21 Falgun 2077, the Chand-led NCP also participated in peaceful politics.
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