The Communist Party of Nepal, also referred to as the Communist Party of Nepal (Amatya), was a communist party in Nepal. It emerged from a split in the original Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) in 1962. The CPN had been ravaged by internal conflicts due to the Sino-Soviet split and differences of how to relate to political changes in the country.

History

In April 1962, the radical sector of the Communist Party of Nepal convened a 3rd party convention in Varanasi, India, but the preparation of the congress had been full of controversy. The congress approved the programme of National Democratic Revolution proposed by Tulsi Lal Amatya, and elected Tulsi Lal as general secretary. In an attempt to maintain the unity of the party, Pushpa Lal Shrestha and Tulsi Lal were to share central leadership responsibilities. Keshar Jung Rayamjhi, the leader of the pro-Soviet faction of CPN was expelled. However, the Rayamajhi-led section did not recognize the convention, and Rayamjhi's followers continued to function as a separate party, also using the name Communist Party of Nepal.

As a result of the Sino-Soviet split, the Soviet leadership and their supporters had tried to court both Pushpa Lal Shrestha and Tulsi Lal Amatya. Pushpa Lal had rejected the line proposed by the Soviets as revisionist, but Amatya had accepted the proposal. In May 1968, the section of Pushpa Lal organized a separate convention in Gorakhpur, India. Pushpa Lal condemned the Soviet line in the convention and supported the line advocated by the Chinese Communist Party as the correct line of the global communist movement. This led to the founding of a separate party, with Pushpa Lal as general secretary. The majority of the party leadership followed Pushpa Lal in joining his splinter group.