Nepal’s former PM Baburam Bhattarai launches party

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s former Maoist prime minister Baburam Bhattarai launched a party on Sunday, urging people disillusioned with old ideologies to be part of “the

Published on: Jun 13, 2016, 06:59:38 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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KATHMANDU: Nepal’s former Maoist prime minister Baburam Bhattarai launched a party on Sunday, urging people disillusioned with old ideologies to be part of “the movement for economic revolution”.

The move came nine months after he quit the country’s biggest Maoist party. The Naya Shakti Nepal was made official at a public gathering in Kathmandu’s Dasarath Stadium where Bhattarai administered oath to thousands of party members. “After promulgation of the constitution, the new challenge for Nepal is development and prosperity, and the Naya Shakti aims to lead that change,” Bhattarai stated.

Bhattarai said the party has a plan to reduce poverty significantly within the next seven years, increase per capita annual income from the present $700 by 10 times within 15 years and make Nepal one of the richest countries in the world in 25 years.

“We shall strictly follow a system of ‘one person-one executive post’, and ‘one executive post — maximum two tenures’,” he said.

Once considered a Maoist ideologue, the JNU alumnus had severed ties with the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) over ideological differences with chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.

He had quit the party nine days after promulgation of Nepal’ s new constitution in September, stating his old party wasn’t good enough for the country.

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

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