The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), led by Netra Bikram Chand, which broke away from the original Maoists saying it would rebel, has participated in the parliamentary election for the first time. This is the first time that Chand's party has participated in the House of Representatives election since it split from the then Unified Maoist in 2069.

General Secretary Netra Bikram Chand is not a candidate. CPN-Maoist spokesperson Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma has filed his candidacy from Kalikot. He is competing against UML's Nagendra Shahi, Congress's Harsh Bahadur Bam, CPN's Mahendra Bahadur Shahi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'s Prakash Neupane in Kalikot.

The then Nepal Communist Party led by Chand boycotted the 2074 BS election, saying it would lead to a 'unified revolution', and even carried out bomb blasts in Bhojpur and other districts. In this election, the CPN-Maoist has filed candidacies in 130 constituencies. The candidates are in the fray with the election symbol of a rose.

CPN-Maoist leader Sudarshan Mangol said that the party has taken the election as a revolutionary front and is contesting in a dozen places this time. 'We are in the electoral front for the first time. We have taken this election as a revolutionary front. We are in the main contest in a dozen places including Kalikot, Rolpa, Kathmandu-9,' he said. The Maoists have entered the election on issues including agriculture and animal husbandry.

After the Maoists entered the peace process, top leaders including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were elected in the 2064 Constituent Assembly election. The then Vice-Chairman Mohan Vaidya and Chand did not contest the election. At that time, Chand had refused to become a member of the Legislative Assembly through proportional representation.

Vaidya and Chand did not participate in parliamentary politics, expressing their disagreement with the course of constitution-making. Although Baidya was made a proportional representative in the first Constituent Assembly, he resigned less than three months later.

Even when the Maoists were powerful in the first Constituent Assembly elections, Chand did not take any privileged position. Chand was also involved in the path to seize power through rebellion under the leadership of the then Vice President Mohan Baidya. Even after entering the peace process, he took the risk of launching another rebellion, but it was stopped halfway.

After the CPN-Maoist entered peaceful politics, Chand launched a new campaign to build a 'people's base'. Adopting the policy of 'building the basis of socialism through agricultural revolution', the CPN-Maoist started agricultural production. Initially, it started cultivation on about five hundred bighas. Last year, he gave a message to businessman Binod Chaudhary that he had started commercial production by selling two hundred thousand kilos of potatoes. The party leaders and cadres have also run a garment and a mart, saying that they will be self-reliant. The Maoists have been operating collective agricultural farms in Kapilvastu, Chitwan and other districts. 

After the then Maoist Center changed its name, Chand entered the election fray with the same name.  The party discussed electoral coordination with UML, CPN, Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party, and CPN Samyukta, saying that it would cooperate with the left in the elections, but could not reach a conclusion.  Chand had prepared to file his candidacy from Kapilvastu-3 and Rolpa.  Seeing that the elections were not likely to be favorable for him, the Maoist Standing Committee has fielded candidates under the leadership of spokesperson Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma. 

General Secretary Chand returned to Kapilvastu after completing the election meeting of Rolpa this week.  CPN Maoist leader Santosh Budhamagar said that he is forming a team and going door to door to win Rolpa candidate Chudamani Wali. 

‘We are forming a team and going door to door on foot.  They have shown interest in Rolpa, saying that they should look at the new ones. We are the main competitors there,' he said, 'We are urging the patriotic forces to win the election.'

In Rolpa, NCP leader Barshaman Pun, Congress's Sudan Kumar Wali, UML's Gokul Gharti, and RPP's Balram Thapa are in the fray.

A group led by then Vice President Mohan Vaidya split from the Unified Maoists in Asad 2069. Vaidya's Maoists had adopted a strategy of mass uprising. However, under his leadership, the mass uprising could not proceed. Then in Mangsir 2071, Chand separated from Vaidya and formed the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). CPN (Chand) started a semi-armed struggle and Chand and other leaders went underground. The then government had filed a case against Chand and other leaders for engaging in violent activities.

On 28 Falgun 075, the then KP Sharma Oli government also banned the NCP. Six people, including policemen, teachers, and ordinary people, lost their lives due to the NCP's violent activities. A case was filed against 12 NCP cadres for the death and more than 100 cadres for violent activities. One and a half dozen cadres are still in jail on various charges.

The Oli government itself lifted the ban on the NCP after it pledged to engage in peaceful political competition. The Chand-led NCP entered peaceful politics after a three-point agreement between the government and the NCP on 21 Falgun 077.

Election commitment letter: Agriculture is the mainstay of Nepal's economy

The CPN-Maoist has taken the political objective of making public institutions accountable, responsible and transparent to the people based on the participation and inclusiveness of ethnic groups, Madhesis, workers, women, farmers, workers, scientists, intellectuals and all sectors in line with the diversity of Nepal for the transformation of political parties and the meaningful restructuring of the state.

Similarly, it has also put forward a proposal to rewrite the constitution and have an executive president elected through a direct election system. The commitment letter states that ‘the character of the state will be based on socialism with Nepali characteristics, with the state’s responsibility towards stable government, economic progress, education, health and employment.’

The Maoists are committed to radically changing Nepal’s justice system, making the judiciary independent, impartial, transparent and capable and establishing it as a center of justice, hope and trust of the people by making it fully accountable to the people.

It is mentioned that the state’s policy in the economic sector will be self-reliant and interdependent and lead towards prosperity. ‘The agricultural economy is and should still be the main basis for Nepal.’ The state should give special priority to agriculture in terms of land, forest, water, environment, fertility, human resources, and all its needs, and promote entrepreneurship, commercialization, and marketing, the commitment letter states, and the state should formulate a special policy to increase investment in the agricultural sector by modernizing agriculture and making it strong and result-oriented.

The commitment letter states that a policy of life imprisonment will be adopted for serious corrupt and anti-human criminals, that education will be made scientific, technical, life-useful, and employment-oriented by guaranteeing access to quality education for the common people, and that access, quality, and universal availability of health care for the common citizens will be ensured.