Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: While leaders from the former Maoist faction within the CPN-UML are increasingly being sidelined, two such leaders have managed to secure positions in the party’s top leadership.
Ram Bahadur Thapa and Lekhraj Bhatta, who were with the CPN (Maoist Centre) when the party merged with the CPN-UML to form the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), are among the leaders who stayed with the UML even after the merger collapsed and the Maoist Centre was reinstated.
The party’s 11th General Convention elected Thapa as vice chairperson and Bhatta as deputy general secretary. While Thapa received 1,516 votes, Bhatta secured 1,452.
Mani Thapa and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi were the other prominent Maoist leaders who chose to remain with the UML. Rayamajhi is currently in judicial custody in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, while Mani Thapa has distanced himself from active party politics.
Thapa and Bhatta are seen as leaders who have consistently stayed in Oli’s camp, cultivating his favor to secure political gains.
While Bhatta is believed to wield strong clout among party leaders and cadres in Sudurpaschim Province, Badal is rarely involved in the party’s organizational activities.
