GORKHA: Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai today said that he has launched a campaign to form a new political force in the country.

A week after he quit United CPN-Maoist, Bhattarai, speaking at an interaction programme at Gorkha headquarters, laid out his plan to constitute a new political force. “I did not want to split the party. I just want to constitute a new political force,” Bhattari said, adding that there was no possibility of him returning to his former party.

He said UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang had not approved of his resignation before talking to him in person.

On a different note, Bhattarai said he had faced more challenges and difficulties while drafting the new constitution than while being the prime minister of the country. “It was not easy forging consensus among the parties,” Bhattarai said, adding “Constitution was delivered after consensus was forged among 31 parties represented in the Constituent Assembly”.

Bhattarai claimed that it was him who had raised the agenda of Constituent Assembly and established it as the party’s bottom line. “I feel proud that the new constitution has been delivered though some people has projected me as being anti- statute”, Bhattarai added.

On the formation of a new government, Bhattarai said horse trading was already underway between the parties.

On a different context, Bhattarai said promulgation of the new statute had heralded a new era in the country. He noted that failure to address the demands raised by the agitating parties had brought about political instability in the country.