Dahal's first strategy is to forge a working alliance with the parties that adhere to the Maoist ideology and prepare the ground for party unification. Evidently, the UCPN (Maoist) and the CPN-Maoist have already announced a working alliance on some issues such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, local elections and crucial matters related to the constitution being drafted.

Dahal is in consultation with the parties that split from the UCPN (Maoist) after joining peaceful politics in 2006. On Sunday, UCPN (Maoist), CPN-Maoist, Matrika Yadav-led CPN (Maoist) and Mani Thapa-led Revolutionary Communist Party held a meeting in the Capital to mull over a common mechanism to ensure a working alliance.

Yadav and Thapa were in the Maoist party during the insurgency. Yadav led a front during the revolution and he became a minister in 2007 in the Cabinet of the late Girija Prasad Koirala. Baidya led an exodus of central leaders to form the CPN-Maoist two years ago.

"Matters relating to a working alliance among the parties were discussed at the meeting," said CPN-Maoist General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa. The meeting decided to intensify talks on forming a united front to "safeguard the achievements of the People's War".

After an unexpected drubbing in the second Constituent Assembly elections last year, Dahal is desperate to unite with like-minded communist parties in order to retain his punch.

"We are working to form a powerful front of Maoist parties. We began the work on Sunday," said Dahal.

The CPN-Maoist has already presented an eight-point proposal to Dahal on party unification. Dahal is pressing for the formation of a High-level Political Committee to bring the CPN-Maoist that boycotted the CA polls to the political mainstream. Dahal has also backed CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya's demand for an all-party conference to discuss issues related to constitution-writing.

Dahal's move follows his troubled relations with senior leader Baburam Bhattarai, who was not present in Sunday's meeting. The CPN-Maoist is pressing Dahal to walk out of the CA arguing that a pro-people constitution is impossible to come out of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML-dominated CA.

Another meeting is scheduled to be held on June 21 at the UCPN (Maoist) headquarters in Perisdanda, said Dahal.

'Ideological debate made party vibrant'

DANG: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said in Dang on Sunday that his ideological tussle with fellow leader Baburam Bhattarai provided impetus for the decade-long insurgency and contributed to his party's triumph in the first CA elections. Speaking at a conference organised by the Revolutionary Journalists' Association, Dahal said the continuous ideological struggle between him and Bhattarai made the party vibrant.