Kathmandu, May 26 -- A faction of the Nepal Socialist Party (NSP) led by Bagmati Provincial Assembly member Ganga Narayan Shrestha has merged into the CPN (Maoist Centre).

Former Maoist leader Shrestha, who quit the party in 2015, has now returned to the mother party following a series of talks between the two sides.

As part of the agreement, Shrestha has been appointed a central secretary of the Maoist Centre.

According to a joint statement signed by Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Shrestha, all other members of the merging group will also be assigned responsibilities within the party with due respect.

The agreement states that the party will follow Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as its guiding ideology, with its programme foc...