KATHMANDU: The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), the largest political party in Nepal, is heading for split on Wednesday as the faction led by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal applied for the registration of a new party.

As many as 95 leaders from the party, including 58 from the existing Central Committee, applied to the Election Commission for the establishment of Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (Socialist) to be headed by Madhav Kumar Nepal with former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal in the second rank.