Kathmandu, July 18 -- Two splinter communist parties that had parted ways from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML have merged together as the Himalayan Nation warms up for the next general election due in 2027.

The CPN- Unified Socialist, led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, and the CPN Unity National Campaign, led by Bamdev Gautam, announced their merger on Friday at a ceremony held at City Hall in Kathmandu. With the merger, Bamdev Gautam, the campaign coordinator, has formally joined the CPN-Unified Socialist, which was formed after a split with CPN-Unified Marxist Leninist led by KP Sharma Oli following the intra-party rift.

According to the merger agreement, Gautam, a former Home Minister, has been appointed to the third most senior po...