UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has held several rounds of talks with Yadav in recent weeks ending nearly half a decade of uncomfortable relationship with the Madhesi leader.

Sources said that the two leaders are closer to forming a working alliance as unification looks unlikely now due to ideological differences.

Matrika Prasad Yadav, a prominent Madhesi face in the insurgency-era CPN (Maoist), became a Cabinet minister in the Dahal-led government. His popularity faded from central politics after splitting from the UCPN (Maoist) to form his own party in 2009.

Yadav told the Post that the talks with Dahal are heading in a 'positive' direction but said they are still far from unification. Yadav said he is ready to work with the UCPN (Maoist) if Dahal corrects past mistakes.

“He has confessed to making mistakes in the past but there should be correction of those for co-work,” said Yadav.

He added that there have been talks over making a working alliance among all the breakaway Maoist parties including the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist. He wants both Baidya and Dahal to change their perception toward royalists and India respectively.

“It's impossible to work together unless we bring uniformity in our vision,” said Yadav.

Yadav left the CPN-Maoist-led 33-party alliance accusing Baidya of making an 'unholy alliance' with former royalist Kamal Thapa. Like CPN-Maoist, Yadav's party also boycotted the Constituent Assembly election.

Sources said Social Democratic Party Nepal Chairman Pasang Sherpa has been acting as a mediator to bring the former friends together.