The national gathering of the state committee-level cadres of the Mohan Baidya faction of the UCPN (Maoist) started in the capital on Saturday.

Inaugurating the gathering in Bouddha, Baidya lambasted the party leadership saying that it proved to be a complete failure with the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. He also said his group was "in the process of forming a new party".

Nearly 2000 cadres from around the country are participating in the gathering, which comes a day after the mass meeting organised by the party establishment in the capital.

Earlier, party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had proposed to cancel both the mass meeting of the establishment and the national gathering, but the hardliners turned it down.

However, the Baidya faction has said it would continue talks with the establishment for party unity. nepalnews.com