A top Maoist source has revealed a hardline faction has won out in an internal power struggle. Those for dialogue and a political solution are said to be in the minority and have been sidelined. Most leaders appeared to be against peace talks at a recent Maoist central committee meeting in Rolpa. The anti-talks faction led by senior Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal was backed by central committee members Posta Bahadur Bogati alias Diwakar, politburo member and military commander Nanda Kishore Pun alias Pasang, politburo member Netra Bahadur Chand alias Biplab and the Chief of the \'Magarant autonomous people's government' Santosh Buda alias Barun. In the minority were rebel leaders Prachanda, standing committee member Baburam Bhattarai, spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara, politburo member Barshaman Pun alias Ananta, among others. The meeting was said to be divisive and senior leaders spent most of the 10 days blaming each other for the increasing number of arrests of comrades in India. Since the hardline faction dominated the meeting, the concepts of \'strategic offensive' and \'tunnel war' have prevailed. The rebels' earlier demands for a roundtable conference, interim government and constituent assembly have taken a backseat