Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Now that he is out of power, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal is trying to revive the Social Front which was made redundant when he was in power.
The front, which was formed to advance socialist agendas, when Dahal was leading the coalition government of Maoist Center and Nepali Congress (NC), lost its relevance with the formation of a new alliance between the Maoist Center and the CPN-UML. It disintegrated after the Upendra Yadav-led Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal (JSP Nepal) split.
Dahal is now trying to breathe new life into the front. A few days ago, he called a meeting of the front after his government fell into the minority. Leaders say discussions centered on forming a new structure for the front. The front is holding a meeting on Tuesday to assess its performance and devise future strategies.
A member of Netra Bikram Chand-led Nepal Communist Party’s Secretariat told Himal Press that the meeting of the front will convene at the headquarters of the CPN (Unified Socialist) in Aloknagar at 4 pm.
This will be the first meeting of the front following Dahal’s ouster from the government. Chand has held discussions to bring JSP Nepal, the Revolutionary Communist Party, and CPN-Masal, among other parties, to join the front.
Dahal was accused of creating the front to safeguard his power while leading the Maoist Center-NC government. Unified Socialist’s senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal was among the leaders who made this claim. However, Khanal is now with Dahal in his bid to revive the front as an alliance of the opposition parties.
A member of Dahal’s secretariat said preparations are underway to invite small parties to join the front.
The front became within a year of its formation. Even when active, it was criticized for ineffectiveness and allegations of leaders promoting only their parties.
A Unified Socialist leader told Himal Press that Dahal is seeking relevance for the front after losing power. He wants to revive the front and also form its district committees.
Meanwhile, Unified Socialist Chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal is believed to be in favor of Dahal’s idea of reviving the front in a new structure. Nepal previously served as the front’s coordinator but failed to make the front active during his tenure.
Leaders had agreed that the leadership of the front would rotate every three months. Biplav is the current leader of the front.
JSP Nepal, one of the member parties of the front, is, however, dissatisfied with Maoist Center Chairperson Dahal, as its Chairperson Yadav believes Dahal was one of the architects of his party’s split. Yadav is refusing to be a part of the front.
