Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said on Saturday that the ‘Naya Shakti’ campaign that he leads will be transformed into a political party within this year.

The former Maoist leader said he was in consultation with people from all walks of life to piece together a new political force.

Receiving a memorandum from the Reporters’ Club, Bhattarai said there was the need for “political interference” for the country’s economic development. “The new political force will devote itself to economic development and prosperity, ending corruption in all its forms,” he said.

He dismissed the possibility of his return to the UCPN (Maoist) as “old political forces cannot give the country a way out”. Bhattarai said he was in consultation with the Madhes-based and the ruling parties in order to resolve the Tarai crisis.

He was of the view that the state boundary row should be settled urgently as the Madhes Movement could spiral out of control if not addressed on time.