UML leader Bamdev Gautam announces new party

With six months to go before the next general election, political activity in Nepal is on the rise. Various people are announcing to field independent candidates in the election. New parties are also being announced.

CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam also announced a new political party named ‘Communist Party of Nepal Ekta Rashtriya Abhiyan’.

A 75-member central committee of the Communist Party of Nepal has been announced. The coordinator of the party is Bamdev Gautam, who is currently a member of the National Assembly from the CPN-UML. Gautam, a former deputy prime minister, had been inactive in the CPN-UML for some time.

In the past, Bamdev Gautam had formed a party called CPN-Malay, separate from CPN-UML. However, after losing the general election, he returned to the CPN-UML. Gautam, who joined the Communist Party at the age of seven, says that he is still in communist unity even at the age of 73. He had worked as a full-time cadre under the party ban.

Gautam appeared in the National Assembly only a few days ago and has not resigned from the post.

He has held important positions in the government and the party on behalf of the CPN-UML and has also served as Minister and Deputy Prime Minister at various times. Similarly, he also held important posts in the CPN-UML, including Vice-Chairman and Deputy General Secretary. He was also involved in a helicopter crash while on a visit with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari as Home Minister.

 His wife Tulsa Thapa is also a member of the Central Committee of the newly formed party. She is also the president of the Nepal Kabaddi Association. Some time ago, She accompanied the sports team as the sports manager at the Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, the capital of Japan.

Her son Harish Gautam is also on some committees.

At a press conference held today, Bamdev Gautam asked why his wife and son were not allowed to be involved in politics. According to him, the party was established as a pressure group two years ago. He further informed that the pressure group was set up to settle the differences in the then Communist Party of Nepal. Coordinator Gautam informed that some parties registered with the Election Commission will soon join the newly formed party.

The first meeting of the new party was held three days ago. The people brought to the Central Committee are not famous personalities.