Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba believes that the main opposition party should not align with any CPN faction as the ruling party is still legally one.
The factions of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal have been holding separate meetings since PM Oli recommended House dissolution on December 20. But Deuba has been repeatedly pointing in the party meetings that CPN has yet to formally split.
"President Deuba does not believe CPN has split," a senior NC leader confides with Setopati. "He has clearly stated even in central committee meeting that CPN is still single. It will remain intact until the Election Commission registers two separate parties and grants separate election symbols."
Deuba, who has been accused of conniving with Oli by the Dahal-Nepal faction, has reluctantly announced agitation against the House dissolution after initially arguing that NC should not opt for agitation in a way that can influence the court's decision on the issue and wait for the court verdict following intense pressure from Senior Leader Ram Chandra Paudel and others.
But he is firm that NC should not ally with any faction and stresses that the party should continue its political fight against CPN until the party formally splits. "Let's not celebrate saying CPN has split. They are in internal conflict. Cannot legally say it has split," the leader quotes Deuba as saying.
The leader reveals that Deuba and the whole party have long believed that the two communist parties unified for power and will not remain united for long due to fight for power.
The Dahal-Nepal faction has been repeatedly proposing with NC to go for joint agitation against Oli's step but NC is coy about that and has refused the proposal saying NC will agitate on its own strength.
"They are still CPN be it Oli faction or Dahal-Nepal faction. CPN will remain even if one of the two factions gets official recognition," the leader points.
Deuba warns enthusiastic leaders in the party saying the two factions can suddenly unite. "There is possibility of the two factions uniting using the word self-criticism. CPN has not formally split. We cannot, therefore, ally with one faction to fight the other," the leader quotes Deuba as reiterating.
NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma says the party has already called the House dissolution unconstitutional and undemocratic and announced agitation against the step, but will not ally with any faction against the other.
