The Division Bench of Supreme Court (SC) has recognized the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) chaired by Rishi Ram Kattel asking newly unified CPN-UML and Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) in status quo or previous position.

With this, the 2018 unification between the CPN-UML and Maoist Centre is no longer legally recognized, and the two parties are still in existence as separate elements. The parties will have to begin the unification process all over again if they wish to continue with the merger. This, however, seems unlikely given the ongoing factional feud in the ruling party.

The bench has also directed the Election Commission to start the process of unification of both parties.

A joint bench of justices Bam Kumar Shrestha and Kumar Regmi ordered the Election Commission, Nepal to uphold Kattle's party name. Kattel had filed a petition at the SC against the NCP chaired by KP Sharma Oli, who is also Prime Minister, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' following the unification between the then NCP (UML) and NCP (Maoist Center) saying the registration at the EC of the unified party as NCP was against the constitution as he had already registered his party with the same name previously at the EC.

NCP Chair Kattle had demanded that the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) registered under his chairmanship at the EC should be recognized as official and no new party with the same name could be registered.

The detail of the SC verdict is awaited.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that he would respect and welcome the Supreme Court's verdict to recognize the Nepal Communist Party chaired by Rishi Ram Kattel.

Prime Minister Oli, who had reached the Federal Parliament to participate in the 7th assembly called today at 4:00 pm, told the journalists that he would respect the apex court's verdict passed today.

"I will give my reaction after I read the full text of the verdict," said the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Oli had left the Federal Parliament before it began