Bibeksheel Sajha Party, formed after unification of Bibeksheel Nepali led by Ujjwal Thapa and Sajha Party by Rabindra Mishra, has split following a simmering dispute between the two factions.
Thapa, who is coordinator of the unified party along with Mishra, has applied with the Election Commission (EC) for registration of the new party. EC Spokesperson Shankar Prasad Kharel confirmed that an application has been received for registration of a party with Thapa as coordinator.
"They have claimed that they have signatures of 40 percent central committee members," Kharel told Setopati. "EC has yet to verify the application."
All was not well in the party that was formed after unification of the two parties on July 26, 2017. The Thapa faction was unhappy claiming that Mishra was leading the party unilaterally and promoting leaders of his faction.
Thapa had sent an 18-page review report to all the leaders and members on December 31 concluding that the path chosen by the party a year after the general elections is wrong.
"I have been able to witness different developments and experiences of individuals and members in the year after the success of federal and provincial elections. I have on that basis concluded that the Bibeksheel Sajha Party is taking the wrong path now," he stated in his report.
"It seems the party will become one without either energy or consciousness. There has neither been development of leadership nor have the number of members increased in significant numbers. The party has become hostage to narrow policies and decisions. Many energetic members and well-wishers have become disappointed and lost their vigor," the report mentioned.
He pointed at the problems including failure to expand membership, leadership limited to a few individuals, and lack of generosity in the leadership to delegate responsibilities to members.
He complained that the party which talks about leading alternative politics has failed to even create its niche practices. He pointed that the party has failed to display even basic skills to do politics. He deemed that the party has failed to differentiate the party from others mainly on the issue of politics of social welfare based on values, and the party has failed to attract new individuals as a result.
"We secured 212,000 in the election a year ago. There are three lawmakers in Province 3," he stated. "Four of our central committee members have resigned after the election. Just 1,500 members have been added in one year." He has pointed that the party currently has only 4,100 members.
He indirectly claimed that the unification of two parties is a façade. "The extreme suspicious attitude of the leadership that sees ghosts in the dark is spreading even at the provincial level. The suspicions of energetic members that they have been discriminated against and not given responsibilities on the basis of past background have been rising by the day," he opined.
He mentioned that there have been massive public complaints about the party's inability to address a wide range of issues.
