In a rather dramatic decision, UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Saturday announced that he would leave his Lazimpat residence and hand over all his property to the party.

Dahal made the announcement in the extended central plenum of the party which concluded in the capital this evening. Party cadres cheered as he announced the decision. He will also return the Japanese Prado jeep he has been using to the government.

He also said that he would stay in the apartment to be made available by the government, as per the recent decision to provide housing and other facilities to former PMs, home ministers, chief justices and speakers who held office after 1990.

The Maoist chairman had shifted to the spacious residence in Lazimpat in January this year. There have been speculations about the actual ownership of the bungalow with some projecting Dahal to be the real owner of the costly property.

Dahal's decision comes following angry comments by the plenum representatives at the luxurious lifestyle of party leaders and lack of transparency in financial matters. nepalnews.com