KATHMANDU: UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today blamed the parties for flouting the peace process, constitution and the democratic norms and values. He was addressing a function organised in the capital to welcome new entrants in his party. As many as 359 leaders and cadres of different political parties, including the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress, today joined the Maoist camp at a function.

"Billions of rupees had been spent to conduct the Constituent Assembly polls but those who were defeated in the polls are in the cabinet," Prachanda said.

He, however, said the people could never be defeated. He termed the flow of people in his party as a campaign to foil the conspiracies to derail the peace process. "Gone are the days to undermine Nepali people," he said, citing that the feudal forces and foreign powers had been undermining the strength of the people.

Prachanda said the CPN-UML was also preparing to organise a similar programme to showcase that many Maoist cadres joined their party in a day or two. He termed those Maoist cadres who were preparing to desert his party as 'opportunists'. "Mass entry in the Maoist party has terrorised the reactionaries and reformists," he said. Prachanda, along with senior Maoist leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha 'Prakash', welcomed the entrants.

The leaders and the cadres to enter the UCPN-Maoist include region-level leader of CPN-UML Chandra Prakash Baniya of Myagdi, Harihar Lamichhane, a district level leader of the UML, and former VDC chairmen Mohan Giri and Gokul Khanal of Achham.

"We were always faithful to our leaders but they never heard our voice," said Lamichhane while addressing the function.

Dil Bahadur Maharjan with 66-members of Samajbadi Andolan and NC Lalitpur district committee member Rajendra Silwal with five party members also joined the ex-rebels' camp.