Kathmandu is bracing for a seismic political shift as nine left-leaning parties, including the CPN-Maoist Centre, prepare to merge and form the new Nepali Communist Party. The move, scheduled for Wednesday, November 5, 2025, comes in the wake of the Gen-Z revolution that swept through Nepal this past September and left the nation’s political landscape fundamentally altered. For many, it’s a moment of déjà vu—Nepal has seen leftist coalitions before—but this time, the stakes feel higher and the motivations more urgent.
On Tuesday, November 4, the CPN-Maoist Centre, led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known popularly as “Prachanda,” convened the final meeting of its General Convention Organizing Committee. The air in Kathmandu was thick with anticipation as party leaders hammered out the last details of the unification. According to ANI, the meeting marked the culmination of weeks of intense negotiations among the nine parties, which also include the CPN (Unified Socialist), Nepal Samajbadi Party, Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, CPN (Maoist Socialist), CPN (Samyabadi), and several other leftist factions.
The catalyst for this merger? The Gen-Z protest movement that erupted in September 2025. Narayankaji Shrestha, Vice-Chair of the CPN-Maoist Centre, made it clear in his address to the committee that the youth-led uprising was more than just a fleeting outcry. "It is also our agenda—good governance, political stability and prosperity, which also relates to the Gen-Z (revolution). Addressing and anticipating their demand as we move forward, we are forerunning in the path of development, the election should be held on the announced date, we have been voicing for it. We have felt threatened to our national sovereignty, constitution and our democracy, we need to be more cautious while taking the steps forward," Shrestha said, as reported by ANI.
For Shrestha and his colleagues, the Gen-Z movement was a clarion call for unity. The protests, which left at least 72 people dead in just two days of violence and ultimately toppled then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, exposed deep fractures in Nepal’s political system. "While we were working to bring the changes in the nation, at the right time, this new political scenario developed, and now we are at a new juncture in time, making another historic move. Our party the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist Center, CPN- Unified Socialist and other seven parties, we are forming a new unified party. A total of 9 new parties have signed onto the document, giving a new avenue to the Nepali communist movement for which agreement has been struck," Shrestha, who has also served as Home and Foreign Affairs minister, explained.
But what does this new party actually stand for? According to leaders present at the meeting, the guiding principle will be Marxism-Leninism, but with a distinctly Nepali flavor. The new party’s political program is set to focus on “scientific socialism with Nepali characteristics,” a phrase that signals both ideological continuity and a nod to the unique realities of Nepal’s social fabric. The agenda is ambitious: good governance, political stability, prosperity, economic growth, and a relentless fight against corruption. Senior leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha emphasized that the broad left unity aims to fulfill “the national responsibilities of ensuring economic prosperity, good governance, and controlling corruption.” He also stressed that restructuring and polarization within the communist movement are essential, and that “bringing all patriotic forces together is now inevitable.”
Wednesday’s unification announcement is expected to be more than just a photo opportunity. A joint meeting of all participating central committees is on the agenda, where leaders will finalize the party declaration, adopt an interim statute, and hammer out the central leadership structure. The new party will also unveil its election symbol: a five-pointed star, a choice that’s as loaded with political symbolism as it is with historical resonance in the region.
For Nepal, the timing of this merger is critical. The country is still reeling from the aftermath of the September Gen-Z uprising, which, according to ThePrint, saw then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli ousted after two days of bloodshed. The violence shocked the Himalayan nation, leaving at least 72 dead and prompting five days of high-stakes deliberation among the country’s political elite. In the end, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed as interim Prime Minister, with a clear mandate: dissolve the parliament and conduct new elections on March 5, 2026.
Unification among Nepal’s leftist parties ahead of elections is not exactly new. The country has a long and complicated history of communist alliances, splits, and reunifications. But this time, the context is different. The Gen-Z protests have injected a sense of urgency and legitimacy into calls for unity. The movement’s demands for accountability, transparency, and a more inclusive political system have resonated not just with youth, but with a broad cross-section of Nepali society. The new party’s leaders are keenly aware of this, and have been careful to frame the merger as a response to popular demand. "The Gen-Z protest had become a call for the party to come together under a single umbrella," Shrestha noted, emphasizing that the party’s agenda aligns with the aspirations of Nepal’s younger generation.
Of course, the road ahead is anything but certain. The new party faces a host of challenges, from internal power struggles to the daunting task of delivering on its lofty promises. The process of merging nine parties, each with its own history, leadership, and priorities, is bound to be messy. And with elections just a few months away, there’s little time to waste.
Yet, for many in Nepal, the formation of the new Nepali Communist Party offers a glimmer of hope. After years of political instability, corruption scandals, and economic stagnation, the promise of a unified leftist front committed to good governance and development is an appealing one. Whether the new party can translate its ideals into action remains to be seen. But for now, the mood in Kathmandu is one of cautious optimism—tempered by the hard lessons of the past, but buoyed by the prospect of a fresh start.
As the clock ticks down to March 5, 2026, all eyes will be on Nepal’s new leftist alliance. Will this historic merger mark the beginning of a new era, or simply another chapter in the country’s long saga of political upheaval? Only time—and the voters—will tell.