UML Politburo member Urmila Aryal and Actress Rekha Thapa join UCPN-Maoist

KATHMANDU: Few weeks after chairperson of UCPN-Maoist claimed that CPN-UML does not exist there is a growing trend of UML leaders defecting the party to join UCPN-Maoist.

CPN-UML Politburo member Urmila Aryal and popular Nepali actress Rekha Thapa formally joined UCPN-Maoist party on Saturday.

UCPN-Maoist Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal welcomed Aryal and Thapa in the party amid a program organized at party headquarters Perisdanda this morning.

Aryal was elected to the Politburo by UML’s national convention in 2008. She had been actively involved in UML’s sister wing All Nepal National Women’s Association. Aryal was expressing dissatisfaction towards CPN-UML over the party leadership, mainly on the leadership selection of All Nepal Women’s Association, women wing of the party. She was also the former minister for local development

Meanwhile, actress Thapa was also near to the UCPN-Maoist party since the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. Rekha, who recently had break-up with his husband Chabiraj Ojha, sought the party’s support to become the chief of the Film Development Board. However, Thapa is likely to get seat in the upcoming election of the constituent assembly.

Earlier in April, UML Politburo member Ram Chandra Jha, an influential Madhesi leader active in politics for three decades, had joined the Maoist party expressing his dissatisfaction at the party’s stance on issues related to “state restructuring and responsibility given to him”. Along with Jha, former UML lawmaker Lucky Sherpa had also joined the Maoist party.