KATHMANDU, Dec 14: As Nepal marks 76 years since the founding of the Nepal Communist Party, the CPN UML, now the main force of the communist movement, has reached its 11th National General Convention after many shifts and splits.
The Nepal Communist Party was founded on April 22, 1949 (Baisakh 10, 2006 BS), under the leadership of Pushpa Lal Shrestha. The founding members included Niranjan Govind Baidya, Nar Bahadur Karmacharya, Narayan Bilas Joshi and Moti Devi Shrestha. The party began from a house at 28 Navin Sarkar Lane, Shyam Bazar area of Kolkata, India. Today, the communist movement in Nepal remains active through different parties and streams.
The Nepali communist movement emerged 102 years after the Communist Manifesto was issued and 32 years after the October Revolution in the Soviet Union. At the time, India had already gained freedom from British rule, China was months away from Mao Zedong’s revolution, and Nepalis were seeking to break free from the 104-year-long Rana autocracy.
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The party held its first general convention in January 1954 in Patan, Lalitpur, electing Man Mohan Adhikari as general secretary. The second convention took place in May 1957 at Darbar Marg, Kathmandu, where Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi became general secretary. This convention sparked internal debate over democracy versus monarchy.
The third general convention was held during the Panchayat era in April 1962, with Tulsilal Amatya elected general secretary. The fourth convention followed the restoration of multiparty democracy in September 1989 at Bishnupur Katti, Siraha, electing Madan Kumar Bhandari as general secretary. After this, several factions emerged, while UML moved forward with the slogan opposing dogmatism and revisionism and promoting creative use of Marxism.
The fifth general convention was held in January 1993 at Dasharath Stadium, Kathmandu. Man Mohan Adhikari became party chair and Madan Bhandari general secretary. This convention is seen as a turning point as Bhandari presented and passed the People’s Multiparty Democracy doctrine, which remains UML’s guiding principle.
The sixth convention took place in January 1998 in Nepalgunj, electing Man Mohan Adhikari as chair and Madhav Kumar Nepal as general secretary. The seventh convention was held in January 2003 in Janakpur under the slogan of democracy, peace and development, with Madhav Nepal re elected general secretary.
The eighth convention in February 2009 in Butwal elected Jhala Nath Khanal as chair and Ishwar Pokharel as general secretary. The ninth convention, held from July to August 2014 at Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, elected KP Sharma Oli as chair and Ishwar Pokharel as general secretary.
In recent years, UML has separated policy, statute and leadership conventions. The first statute convention was held in October 2021 in Godavari, Lalitpur. The 10th National General Convention followed in December 2021 in Sauraha, Chitwan, re-electing KP Sharma Oli as chair and Shankar Pokharel as general secretary.
The second statute convention in September 2025 in Godavari removed the 70-year age limit and the two-term cap for party leadership.
The 11th National General Convention begins today. The opening ceremony was held in Sallahghari, Bhaktapur, while the closed session will start Sunday at Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu. The main slogan of the convention is “Our resolve is to build a decisive national force, our destination is a prosperous Nepal and happy Nepalis.”
