2021 split in Nepalese Communist Parties

During a party secretariat meeting on 21 August 2019, senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal issued a note of dissent regarding the divided party and criticized the two co-chairmen, K.P. Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, for not completing the merger process sooner. He also criticized Oli for not following the "One Leader, One Position" policy that the party had campaigned on and called for Oli to either resign as party leader or as prime minister.[8][9][10] Another meeting took place on 21 November 2019, when the party decided on moving forward with two party leaders, with Dahal holding the position of executive head of the party. The meeting also resulted in an agreement to allow Oli to complete his full term as prime minister.[11][12] Furthermore, some factions in the party did not favor a grant under the Millennium Challenge Corporation that the government had previously negotiated with the United States.[13][14] The issue was resolved after a task force formed by the party decided to not endorse the proposed agreement as is.[15]As a result of the criticism from the party members, the cabinet was reshuffled.[16][17][18] [19]

Bam Dev Gautam was appointed as the party's vice-chairman after the central committee of the party amended the party statute.[20] Party co-chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal criticized the Oli governments handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and leaders within the party urged the senior leadership in the party to call a meeting of the party secretariat to discuss the government work.[21][22] At the meeting of the party secretariat some leaders called on Oli's resignation but a later meeting decided to allow Oli to after he agreed to work under the party's instructions and let Dahal perform his duties as the party's executive leader.[23][24] A panel formed by the party to solve the internal dispute proposed that a national convention of the party be held in April 2021 to solve issues regarding the party unity and the proposal was endorsed by the standing committee of the party.[25][26] Another cabinet reshuffle was done on 16 October 2020 but Oli was criticized by the party for not consulting the party.[27]

On 14 November 2020, co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal presented a political document at a party secretariat meeting that accused K.P. Sharma Oli of not following the party's directions, unilaterally leading the government and turning a blind eye towards corruption.[28] In response, Oli attacked Dahal for not letting him the government, promoting factionalism and nepotism as well as not letting victims of the Nepalese Civil War get justice.[29][30]

On 20 December 2020, K.P. Sharma Oli called on President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to dissolve the House of Representatives and call for fresh elections.[31] In an address to the nation, Oli said he dissolved the house after the party had not let him work as prime minister and that a no-confidence motion was being prepared against him from within the party.[32] The decision was met with criticism from within the party and seven ministers close to the Dahal–Nepal faction in his cabinet resigned in protest.[33]

K.P. Oli called a meeting of the central committee of the leaders in the party close to him and added 556 members to the existing 446-member committee of the party. The new central committee was to organize a party unity convention in November 2021. The meeting also removed Narayan Kaji Shrestha as party spokesperson and replaced him with Pradeep Gyawali.[34][35]

The Dahal–Nepal faction of the party also organized its own central committee meeting with 310 members of the original central committee and replaced K.P. Oli as party co-chairman with Madhav Kumar Nepal.[36] The meeting also decided to protest against the government to restore the House of Representatives.[37][38]

The party got registered with the Election Commission of Nepal on 7 June 2018 under the name Nepal Communist Party (NCP) after the Election Commission of Nepal refused to register the new party as another party called Nepal Communist Party was already registered, the latter being a small group led by Rishi Kattel.[39][40][41] Kattel challenged the Election Commission decision at the Supreme Court.[42]

As a reference to the NCP's registration, the party became colloquially known as the NCP double.[43] Following the split between the Oli and Dahal-Nepal factions, the Election Commission declined to recognize neither faction as the legitimate holders of the NCP's registration.[44] On 8 March 2021, Nepal's Supreme Court stated that the allocation of the name Nepal Communist Party upon the merger of the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre), and by extension the merger itself, was void ab initio, as the name was already allotted to the party led by Kattel, and that the NCP stood "dismissed".[45] Upon the ruling, the two predecessor parties were revived in their original state immediately prior to the merger, although should the two wish to merge again with proper procedure being followed, that it would be fully allowed.

On 18 July 2021, 22 member of House of Representatives from the party voted for Sher Bahadur Deuba as Prime Minister, defying the party whip.[50]

As a result, dispute rose among former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli due to Madhav's faction supporting the government despite the party being in the opposition. On 18 August 2021, Madhav Kumar formed a new party called Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist).[51]

Former Prime Minister Jhalanatha Khanal, party vice presidents and as many as 31 MP's joined the new party. This made a split from top to lower level committees of party.[4]

A minor group led by senior vice president, Bamdev Gautam left the party on 4 September 2021.[7][52] Currently they are in the process of registering a new party.[53][54]

Another minor group, led by Hridayesh Tripathi along with MPs Brijesh Kumar Gupta and Ishwar Dayal Mishra also split away on 26 August 2021 and formed the People's Progressive Party.[55]