CPN (Maoist Center) leader Barsha Man Pun has said that the left parties in the ruling coalition are not forming socialist center to put pressure on Nepali Congress (NC).
Left parties in the coalition including Maoist Center, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), and groups led by Baburam Bhattarai and Bam Dev Gautam are currently in dialogue for forming a socialist center.
In a video interview with Setopati, Pun has pointed that no party can muster majority on its own in the current mixed electoral system. “We will win in areas where we have influence, NC in its area and CPN-UML in its. There is no need to put any pressure on NC.”
He has added that the socialist center or front of left parties will be open for electoral alliance with NC if the latter so wishes pointing that NC has formally decided to opt for electoral alliance. “We will go as a single coalition through socialist front in all 165 federal constituencies. How NC will come will be known after that. This is not any pressure or bargaining.”
He has revealed that the socialist front will contest the upcoming elections with a single election symbol and manifesto. “We are now taking initiative for a single election symbol and commitment letter. Preparations are on in a way that all friends in the socialist front go with a single election symbol and manifesto.”
He has also ruled out unification or alliance with UML amidst rumors that CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhala Nath Khanal is taking initiative to bring even UML on board. “The CPN-UML led by KP Sharma Oli basically seems a communist party but looking at the political steps taken by that party, it is very right-wing politically. It has been talking against secularism and federalism, raised questions against republicanism,” Pun has elaborated.
“UML is currently a right-wing party. NC is at the center. We are in the revolutionary and progressive stream. There is very little chance of alliance with UML in current scenario. We can think about it if UML were to do introspection conceding that expected works could not be done while running the government for three and a half years.”
He has claimed that there will be no problem in Dahal and Bhattarai working together in a single front pointing that Bhattarai is also a product of Maoist movement and is connected with all the achievements and weaknesses of the movement. “We are roughly at the same position in ideology and politics…They (Dahal and Bhattarai) have stayed together for tens and twenties of years. Men come with attitudes and problems. Men also come with qualities and capabilities. We will have to look positively.”
