UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has started discussions with the party leaders of various ranks in a bid to keep party unity intact.

In a meeting with the party leaders held at his residence in Lazimpat on Sunday, Dahal consulted the leaders on possible ways to narrow down the intra-party rift by taking dissenting Baidya faction into confidence.

Party politburo member Lokendra Bista Magar who was present in the meeting said that chairman Dahal was serious about keeping the party united considering the concerns of leaders and the cadres to prevent party from suffering a vertical split.

Dahal also instructed vice chairman Narayan Kaji Shresha and standing committee member Krishna Bahadur Mahara to find possible ways to keep party unity intact.

The leaders had stressed on the need for party unity to institutionalise the achievements of 10-year People's War and People's Movement-II including republic set up, federalism, secularism, equality among others.

It is also learnt the leaders close to the party establishment faction expressed serious concern over the activities of the hardliner leaders, accusing the latter were after plum posts and power and there were no "ideological differences".

According to Dahal's aide Shiva Khakurel, party politburo members, district in-charges and central advisors were present at the meeting. nepalnews.com