Kathmandu, Nepal, March 21, 2022: A delegation of the main opposition CPN-UML led by Vice Chairman Bishnu Prasad Poudel has left for China on Monday to participate in the 'Economic Cooperation & Cultural Exchange' program, which is going to be held in Kunming of Yunnan Province, China.
As the visit is scheduled just days before the Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi’s visit to Nepal, it is taken cautiously from different sectors, particularly in the leftists wings. Wang led Chinese delegation is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on coming Friday for three day official visit to Nepal.
It is said that the UML delegation would meet Song Tao, head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during its stay in China. As the CCP always favors the Nepalese communist parties, there is also a speculation that the UML would have sent its delegation to meet the Chinese leaders including Tao to make environment for the electoral alliance among the communist parties in Nepal.
As CPN Maoist Center and the CPN United socialists are going to form electoral alliance in the upcoming elections even trying to take into confidence the Nepali Congress, the UML wants to break the alliance with the aim to secure some seats in the elections. However, UML chairman KP Sharma Oli has flately rejected the idea to form electoral alliance with the Maoist Center and the United Socialist.
The UML Poudel led delegation that includes party Standing Committee member Kashinath Adhikari, chairman of the Accounts Commission and former vice chairman of the National Planning Commission Pushpa Raj Kandel and Central Committee Member and Karnali State Assembly Member Meena Singh Rakhal, is scheduled to return home on March 30.
