Essence
The first news of the revolt at the Maoist Center came on October 19, when party chief Devi Khadka of Dolakha district resigned from the party expressing dissatisfaction over ticket distribution. Since then, there have been continuous reports of dissatisfaction in the party.
Expansion
Rebellion has intensified over the question of ticket distribution in the Maoist Center, the second largest party in the ruling coalition in Nepal. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) has given tickets to its leaders for the November 20 general elections, they are facing a lot of trouble due to the rebellion within the organization. Some candidates have even told the party leadership that their own leaders and workers are creating more problems than the opposition they are facing in the election fray.
The first news of the revolt at the Maoist Center came on October 19, when party chief Devi Khadka of Dolakha district resigned from the party expressing dissatisfaction over ticket distribution. Since then, there have been continuous reports of dissatisfaction in the party. The Maoist Center is part of the ruling coalition led by the Nepali Congress. Voting for the direct election seats of parliament and provincial assemblies in Nepal will be held next November 20.
The leaders of the Maoist Center have acknowledged that internal dissatisfaction could hurt the party in the election. Party Secretary Leelamani Pokharel has said that dissatisfaction over candidate selection is common in parliamentary parties. "I do not rule out the possibility that dissent may have an impact on our electoral prospects," he said.
According to observers, if this happens, the Maoist Center's ambition to emerge as a king maker after the election may remain unfulfilled. The ruling coalition includes the Nepali Congress and the Maoist Centre, apart from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialists) and the Rashtriya Jan Morcha. According to media reports, about five dozen rebel candidates of the Maoist Center are contesting for parliamentary and provincial assemblies seats. Rebel candidates of other parties involved in the alliance are also in the fray. Voting will be held on November 20 for 165 direct elections to the lower house of parliament and 330 such seats in the seven provincial assemblies.
There has also been a deep apprehension within the ruling coalition whether supporters of all the parties involved will vote for each other's candidates. According to the news, this fear is haunting the Mioist Center the most. Party leaders fear that many supporters of Nepali Congress will not vote for Maoist candidates. From above, their rebel leaders have increased the problems of the party. The Maoist Center has fielded candidates in 47 parliamentary seats and 111 provincial seats.
The internal discontent can be gauged from the fact that Haribol Guzarel, a leader considered close to party president Pushpa Kamal Dahal and deputy general secretary of the party, came out to protest for not getting the ticket. He told the newspaper Kathmandu Post that I have demanded a meeting of party office bearers immediately, so that it is clear why I was not given the ticket. On the other hand, Dhruv Parajuli, a former member of the party's politburo, left the party after not getting a ticket and is now in the fray as an independent candidate
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