Kathmandu : Nepal’s leftist movement has once again reached an ideological crossroads. Senior leader Jhalnath Khanal of the CPN (Unified Socialist) hinted at the possibility of returning to the CPN-UML, emphasizing that the “path of socialist revolution” would be the main condition for such a move.
In an interview with News Agency Nepal, Khanal expressed affection for UML but criticized KP Sharma Oli’s leadership for lacking “stable thinking.” He believes that without unity with UML, forming a new party is inevitable.
Khanal outlined four key ideological conditions for returning to UML. First, the party must adopt Marxism–Leninism as a guiding principle, not just in theory but also in practice. Second, it must embrace the path of socialist revolution and transformation, moving beyond the completed capitalist-democratic phase toward socialism.
Third, the socialist program must be tailored to Nepali realities, reflecting the country’s mixed social structure of farmers, workers, and youth. Finally, the party must commit to resisting both domestic and foreign reactionary forces, safeguarding national sovereignty and reducing economic dependence. Khanal said that if consensus is reached on these four points, negotiations could begin immediately.
He described UML as the “ideological child of his life,” showing deep emotional attachment, but expressed frustration with Oli. “We expect stable thinking within UML, but it has not developed under Oli,” he said. PR
