Bad news from all quarters for Maoist chief Prachanda

Bad news seems to be following Nepal’s Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ these days. And it has come from all conceivable quarters — home, family, party and government.

Updated on: Jul 19, 2012, 24:02:53 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Bad news seems to be following Nepal’s Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ these days. And it has come from all conceivable quarters — home, family, party and government.

The present spell started in January when the 57-year-old shifted residence. The move from his Nayabazar home to a posh mansion in the centre of Kathmandu raised eyebrows and also made headlines.

Doubts regarding the building’s acquisition, some saying he pays rent while others declaring Prachanda had bought it at a princely sum (much lower than the market rate), fuelled discontent within Maoists and raised questions on his luxurious lifestyle.

Then the simmering rivalry between Prachanda and his hardliner deputy Mohan Baidya took an ugly turn last month when the latter split the party to form the Communist Party of Nepal, Maoist.

Prachanda had barely managed to recover from this jolt when a week later his other deputy, PM Baburam Bhattarai, spilled more bad news by refusing to step down from office till fresh elections to a new parliament are held.

The opposition has been demanding Bhattarai’s resignation as the only way out of the present deadlock following failure of the Constituent Assembly to promulgate a constitution. And Prachanda was working overtime to dislodge him to make way for a unity government.

But Bhattarai’s unexpected announcement took him by surprise. After initial reports about differences between both Maoist leaders, Prachanda decided to back his party colleague.

As if all this was not enough, last week Prachanda’s only son ‘disappeared’ with a married Maoist student leader. The twice-married Prakash was immediately expelled from the party.

The development must have been the biggest blow for the Maoist chief as not only was he grooming Prakash to take over the party’s mantle, the son had significant control over the party finances and rumours say he may have siphoned off a sizeable portion.

Not someone to be cowered by misfortunes, Prachanda is putting up a brave front and is busy rebuilding his party and reputation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.