Himal Press 
This combo photo shows Durga Sob, Sudan Kirati and Santosh Pariyar.
KATHMANDU: Dr Baburam Bhattarai’s Nepal Samajbadi Party (Naya Shakti), former CPN (Maoist Center) Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma’s Pragatisheel Abhiyaan, and former Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar are formally launching Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party on Sunday.
Sharma decided to quit the Maoist Center after the party decided to go into consolidation with about a dozen leftist forces to form the Nepali Communist Party (NCP). He has recently grown closer to Bhattarai, who had left the Maoist party in 2015 to form Nayashakti Nepal. RSP’s Pariyar has also aligned himself with the initiative.
According to leaders, the new party will adopt Naya Shakti’s election symbol, the “eye”.
The unification follows a five-point agreement reached on November 12 among Durga Sob of Nepal Samajbadi Party (Naya Shakti), Sudan Kirati of Pragatisheel Abhiyaan and Pariyar.
Since Dr Bhattarai and Sharma have already said that they would not assume a leadership role in the party, one among Sob, Kirati and Pariyar is likely to be appointed as the Coordinator of the merged party. Leaders, however, say discussions are ongoing regarding a collective leadership model.
