A senior former Maoist leader Rabindra Shrestha has reportedly joined the United Marxist-Leninist(UML). He had been expelled from his party in 2006 due to his secret nexus with monarchists, including Khadga Oli, the staunchest monarchist leader within the UML.
Mr. Shrestha was feeling extremely unsafe after King’s direct autocratic rule fell down. He had developed his special relationship with monarchists while he was being released from Nakhu jail during peace talks in 2001.
Maoists, after having discovered that Mr. Shrestha was secretly supplying party information to monarchists, immediately expelled him. Since then, he had been hiding under the protection of monarchists.
Later on, Maoists realized that Mr. Shrestha had played a big role in having their central leaders killed by the government security forces. But Mr. Shrestha in newspapers claimed that he did not like the Maoist Party because it was gradually being like the UML. In his view, the UML was a monarchist and self-capitulationist party not serving the working class people. At that time, he had claimed that he was representing the most revolutionary trend within the Maoist Party. However, by entering the UML party today, he has refuted his own accusation.
Observers think Mr. Shrestha joined the UML to show Maoists that he is worth something. Besides, he requires protection as well.