.The Nepal Communist Party has virtual control over all three tiers of government. It has over two-thirds majority in the federal parliament, and runs six of the seven provinces as well as most local units. It was precisely with this intent that the two biggest communist forces had formally united over four months ago. At the time, the two co-chairmen, KP Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, had assured their skeptical countrymen that rather than wrangling they would work together as ‘co-pilots’ of the same airplane. It has not been a smooth flight. Dahal wasted no time in projecting himself as the prime minister-in-waiting, even as he was eerily silent on the many criticisms that came the way of the Oli government. Oli for his part has ruled both the country and his party by diktat. Dahal seems to have taken after Oli on this. Disenchantment among the rank and file is growing. This displeasure with the party leadership was evi­dent most recently after the selection of the NCP provincial in-charges (with the largely ceremonial role of overall party management in the province) and provincial committee chairpersons (who enjoy most executive powers).

The party statute confers this selection right on the 45-member standing committee. The committee members were thus aghast when the nine-member secretariat, under the effective control of the two co-chairmen, announced the names of these province-level officials—without informing the committee. Interestingly, four leaders close to Dahal and three close to Oli were made provincial committee chairper­sons; contenders from other factions were sidelined.

Meanwhile, those close to Dahal say he has already had a ‘serious discussion’ with Oli about the government’s inability to meet public expectation. They say he is as yet not angling for the post of prime minister or party chairman. He will go with the status quo for the first two years of Oli’s prime ministership. After that, “all bets are off”.

But even if Dahal is patient enough to bide his time, other party colleagues are getting antsy. Senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has grown progressively distant from Oli. Another senior leader Jhalanath Khanal has always been uncomfortable with the terms of party unification. Narayan Kaji Shrestha has resigned as spokesperson. And Ram Baha­dur Thapa, the Maoist home minister, seems intent on under­mining his prime minister every step of the way.

When the prime minister touches down on TIA on October 4 after an extended foreign trip he will have his hands full trying to paper over the growing cracks in the party edifice.