Internal rift in UCPN (M) narrows down; Dahal clarifies action will not be taken against Bhattarai

The internal rift seen in Unified CPN (Maoist) in the recent months has narrowed down a bit Sunday with the party deciding to take vice chairman Baburam Bhattarai's note of dissent for discussion at lower levels of the party.

A meeting of the party standing committee Sunday took such decision after leaders close to chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal agreed to discuss further vice chairman Bhattarai's note of dissent on the political dossier passed by the central committee earlier last month.

Bhattarai had written a note of dissent, disagreeing with the party's policy to go for people's revolt, at the central committee.

However, the standing committee is yet to finalise the distribution of portfolios to leaders. Leaders close to Bhattarai had been dissatisfied saying the important portfolios were going to be given to leaders close to chairman Dahal.

"The meeting took a few decisions on the party's organizational set-up and work division of some leaders," Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma told reporters after the meeting.

However, he declined to furnish the details of the meeting citing they are waiting approval from the central committee meeting slated for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, chairman Puspha Kamal Dahal on Sunday clarified that the party as not decided to take action against vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.

Speaking at a programme in the capital, Dahal said, "The reports that appeared in Media are baseless. We have not decided anything as such yet."

There have been some issues regarding Bhattarai's dissatisfaction in the party, but such issues are always common in any left-wing and the UCPN (M) is not an exception to this, he explained.