Two dozen ex-UCPN (Maoist) leaders have joined the Naya Shakti led by former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai who announced a 35-member interim council on Sunday.

Most of those leaders had served as ministers and central members when they were in the UCPN (Maoist).

Those leaders are Karna Dhoj KC, Kalpana Dhamala, Kumar Poudel, Krishna Sharma, Khimlal Devkota, Ganga Shrestha, and Devendra Parajuli among others. Dhamala is former ministers in Bhattarai-led government in 2011 While Poudel, Devkota, Poudel and Parajuli are former UCPN (Maoist) lawmakers. 

Senior Madhesi leaders Mahendra Paswan and Ram Kumar Sharma also joined the Naya Shakti campaign. Bhattarai is planning a formal launch of the party within a couple of months.