When CPN Mashal decided on the strategy of a long-term people's war, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Biswas' and Rambahadur Thapa 'Prem' went to Manang in search of weapons. They returned with .303 rifles from Maniraj Gurung of Dharapani. Biswas and Prem evolved into the 'Prachanda' and 'Badal' duo. And Deb Gurung from Dharapani was pulled in by loyalty to an old friendship.

When the Mashal joined the class struggle, Deb Gurung and Krishna Bahadur Mahara stood for elections in Lamjung and Rolpa, while Prachanda put himself to work to develop a country-wide underground organisation for the 'people's war'. Meanwhile, Badal got involved in the 'Sisnejaljala Abhiyan' and preparation for a class struggle in Rukum-Rolpa. Badal is now defence minister, Mahara is information minister and Gurung is minister of law and justice.

RAMBAHADUR THAPA	DEB GURUNG	KRISHNA BAHADUR MAHARA
BABURAM BHATTARAI	UPENDRA YADAV	BIJAYA GACHHEDAR

Another member of Team Prachanda, Baburam Bhattarai, worked to lay the conditions for protracted war. Now he is finance minister.

Non-Maoists in the cabinet are MJF Chairman Upendra Yadav, JP Gupta, Bijay Gachhadar and Renu Yadav. Upendra Yadav was a UML, became a Maoist and then became the face associated with the Madhesi Movement after January 2007.

His relations with the Maoists grew worse after the Gaur massacre, but he is now foreign minister.

JP Gupta was among the powerful Madhesi kangresis who left the NC in 2007. He had major differences with Upendra Yadav, but is now agriculture minister in the Maoist-led government. JP used to get along well with Gachhadar even when they were in the NC, and both have problems with Upendra Yadav.

Renu Yadav is a Madhesi RPP who defected to the MJF because she saw no political future in the royalist party. She has been minister twice and is now education minister under the Maoists.