Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The CPN (Maoist Center) has split yet again. Expressing dissatisfaction with the leadership of party supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Deputy General Secretary of the party, Janardan Sharma, has announced a new political force called Pragatisheel Abhiyaan Nepal.
Sharma made the announcement during a press conference held in Lalitpur on Tuesday. Talking to reporters, he expressed discontent over the proposed unification of eight political parties, including the Maoist Center.
Maoist Center leaders like Ram Karki and Anjana Bisunkhe were with Sharma in the press conference.
Admitting the weaknesses of his own faction, Sharma said the new group would move forward with fresh ideas, new generation leadership, and new political practices. “The Pragatisheel Abhiyaan Nepal will launch a long-term political effort to unite the fragmented leftist and progressive forces towards a unified socialist movement,” he added.
Sharma was the only leader challenging Dahal’s working style in the Maoist Center in recent times.
Sharma said in the press meet that he will not assume the role of chairperson of the new force. “We are not in a race to become chairperson or vice-chairperson,” he said. “We will now promote a new generation of leaders and carry forward the movement abandoned by Dahal.”
Leader Karki also said he and Sharma had decided not to take leadership roles but to help establish new-generation leaders. “We have not quit politics, but we will not hold executive positions,” Karki said. “We are not here to add another party to the existing 20; we are here to introduce new thinking and a pure political practice.”
The Maoist movement in Nepal has experienced multiple splits since it entered the political mainstream following the decade-long insurgency. Major splinter groups include the CPN (Revolutionary Maoist) led by Mohan Baidya, the CPN led by Netra Bikram Chand and the Nepal Samajbadi Party (formerly Naya Shakti) led by Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
