Kathmandu: CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal have begun preparations to extend their political cooperation to next year’s local and provincial elections, following their parties’ poor performance in the March 5 House of Representatives election.
Leaders from both parties say discussions are underway to continue their cooperation beyond provincial governments and explore electoral alliances in the upcoming polls. The two parties have informally instructed their lower-level committees to prepare the ground for possible cooperation.
The initiative aims to prevent further fragmentation of left-wing votes and preserve the political influence of communist parties, whose electoral strength has declined significantly over the past several elections.
The UML and NCP have already joined hands in five provinces. Their cooperation gained momentum after the recent parliamentary election, and the two leaders have continued communicating about expanding their political partnership.
According to leaders close to Oli and Dahal, the two sides have reached an initial understanding to explore electoral cooperation at the local and provincial levels.
Last week, Oli and Dahal discussed the possibility of extending their alliance after the UML withdrew its support for the Nepali Congress-led provincial government in Madhesh on October 16.
A leader close to Oli said the two leaders were holding regular discussions on working with left-wing forces in the coming days. Preparations were also underway to establish a framework for continuing their partnership in provincial governments and future elections.
Unlike the 2017 general election, when the UML and the then CPN (Maoist Centre) formed a nationwide electoral alliance, the two parties are now focusing on building cooperation through district and local committees.
UML secretary Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said the alliance in provincial governments had created a foundation for cooperation in future elections.
He stressed that mutual trust between the parties needed to be strengthened before reaching agreements on electoral coordination.
According to Dhakal, the parties are seeking to develop a stronger understanding at the local level rather than relying solely on decisions made by their central leadership.
The approach reflects an effort to build support from the grassroots before finalising any electoral arrangement.
The UML and NCP are also preparing common programmes focusing on national sovereignty, constitutional protection and rising living costs.
NCP leader Barshaman Pun said the cooperation that began in provincial governments could expand to Parliament, public protests and elections.
He added that the two parties had agreed to work together on issues related to protecting the constitution and democracy.
The parties are also discussing a common response to government decisions, including investigations involving political leaders, the removal of squatters and plans to abolish trade unions.
According to party leaders, they may use parliamentary proceedings and public demonstrations to put pressure on the government over these issues.
Although the two parties are exploring electoral cooperation, Dahal has made it clear that the alliance does not mean an immediate merger between them.
Speaking at the launch of a two-month political campaign on Saturday, Dahal said cooperation with other political forces was necessary to protect democratic rights and national interests.
He maintained, however, that the possibility of an immediate merger with the UML was not on the agenda. The parties still needed to review their political histories and backgrounds, he said.
Dahal had also said on October 4, during a programme organised by the NCP’s Bagmati provincial committee, that an understanding had been reached to cooperate with the UML and the Rastriya Janamorcha.
He added that discussions were continuing with other forces that shared their views on national interests and left-wing politics.
Oli has also repeatedly called for cooperation among left-wing and democratic forces. At a UML central committee meeting in September, he said the party could work with the NCP.
The UML’s subsequent inter-party directive also called for collaboration with political parties, citizens and intellectuals who support national interests, democracy and the constitution.
Oli has argued that left-wing and democratic forces need to work together following the Gen Z protests and the March 5 election.
The renewed push for cooperation comes amid a sharp decline in the electoral strength of Nepal’s communist parties.
In the 2017 general election, the UML and the then Maoist Centre won a combined 174 seats in the House of Representatives. Their combined proportional representation vote share stood at around 47 percent, bringing the alliance close to a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Their combined proportional vote share declined to around 42 percent in the 2022 election.
Left-wing parties had secured around 60 percent of the vote in the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, but their combined share fell to approximately 42 percent in the 2013 election.
In the latest House of Representatives election, the UML won 25 seats, while the NCP secured 17. The UML received 13.44 percent of the proportional representation vote, compared with 7.49 percent for the NCP.
Their combined proportional vote share was 20.93 percent, significantly lower than in previous elections.
Leaders from both parties believe that contesting future elections separately could divide their support further and weaken their representation in elected bodies.
The prospect of electoral cooperation is therefore being viewed as a way to consolidate their remaining support and improve coordination among left-wing voters.
Oli and Dahal began speaking more openly about renewed cooperation after appearing on the same platform during celebrations marking the 75th birth anniversary of former UML general secretary Madan Bhandari in June.
Their previous alliance, however, ended in a bitter split.
The UML and the Maoist Centre formed an electoral alliance in 2017 and went on to establish the Nepal Communist Party through a formal merger in 2018.
The merger failed to resolve disagreements over leadership and the distribution of power between Oli and Dahal. Their conflict deepened, eventually leading to the breakdown of their party unity in 2021.
The current initiative suggests that the two leaders are once again seeking common political ground. However, their immediate focus appears to be electoral coordination and cooperation on shared political issues rather than another party merger.
Whether the partnership can be sustained will depend on how effectively the two parties build trust at the local level and resolve differences over candidate selection, electoral arrangements and political priorities ahead of next year’s local and provincial elections.
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