Against claims of CPN (Maoist Centre) leaders, CPN (Unified Socialist) chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal ruled about any possibility of his party merging with others.

Addressing the party’s central committee meeting, he said the merger claims were nothing but rumours. He urged everyone not to believe speculations that the Unified Socialist would merge with other parties.

“Rumours are being spread about our party. Some claim we are merging with the CPN-UML, while others are falsely suggesting a merger with the Maoists. I urge you not to believe these baseless claims,” he said. “We remain focused on strengthening and empowering our party, and won't be swayed by false propaganda.”

Nepal ruled out the possibility of merger just a week after Barsha Man Pun, Maoist Centre deputy general secretary, claimed that a merger with the Unified Socialist was likely. Addressing a party event in Khotang on February 13, Pun had said as the two parties share ideological similarities, there was a high possibility of the merger between them.

Since 2023, there have been attempts of merger between Moaist Centre with other parties including the Unified Socialist. Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal took the initiative to form the Socialist Front bringing four parties together in July 2023. Upendra Yadav-led Janata Samajbadi Party and Netra Bikram Chand’s Communist Party of Nepal are other members of the front.

The front constituted with a broader goal of merger of left parties remained largely unimplemented as Dahal paid little attention towards the front when he was the prime minister until July, 2024. However, immediately after being ousted as the prime minister, he tried to re-energize the front in an attempt of consolidating power.

The front’s activities slowed down after the by-elections at the local level in November last year. Elated with improved performance in the by-polls, the third largest party started claiming it is regaining the public support and will be largest party in the next elections. Hence, the Maoist Centre leaders started paying little attention towards the front.

“There is a growing belief that the Maoist Centre is using the front for its own interests,” said a United Socialist office-bearer. “We don’t want to be used by others.”

Even Chand, last month, said there was slim chances of merger with the Maoist Centre. Last meeting of the front was held on January 29 which decided to stage a mass demonstration against the KP Sharma Oli government on April 6.

At Friday's meeting, the Unified Socialist not just declined merger but also blamed the Nepali Congress and the Maoist Centre for using his party for their benefit ever since its formation. Revolting against Oli, the Nepal-led faction split the UML in August 2021 to form a new party. Garnering a majority against Oli in the House of Representatives was possible after a group of UML lawmakers under Nepal’s leadership stood against Oli. They later formed the Unified Socialist.

Presenting his political paper in the party meeting, Unified Socialist General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal has expressed dissatisfaction against the Congress and Maoist Centre for not giving proper recognition to his party though it made a ‘historic decision’ to split the UML to form a new coalition.

“The then coalition parties [Congress and Maoist Centre] used us,” reads his paper. “We played a historic role in protecting the constitution, but we could not translate that credit into party building and establishing ourselves in the parliamentary elections.”

The Nepal-led party, however, has concluded splitting from the UML was a pragmatic decision. “Revolting against a regressive force was necessary to protect the progressive communist line. Every event unfolding, thereafter, has been justifying our decision,” the party has said. It has also concluded that holding mass gatherings in different parts of the country was necessary to generate public trust towards the party.