@MildSeven,The faction referred to as the conservatives are those adhering to Confucian principles and are left leaning. They're strongly for supporting the poor and working class. The conservatives lean towards regulation of corporations and increased taxation of the rich. They're not a western society's definition of conservative but got their name from an alternate way of thinking and value system. Where the conservatives hold sway there's action to support the common folk against abuse by their landlords and some redistribution of wealth to the poor. By that definition you are correct, the left leaning faction is more palatable to the masses. This is partially China ITTL preferring to use its own terminology which can be rather confusing to outsiders.
I was thinking that the presence of such a faction with enough power could prevent the Communists from gaining a solid foothold in China. The poor who feel oppressed and want change might just side with the conservatives instead. The government has started a propaganda campaign branding Communism as a tool of the Russians to control them. The conservatives control the North including Manchuria as far south as Kaifeng as well as most of the mountainous west (including Sichuan). There's signs of growing conservative support among the poor rural population in the south where the "reformist" ministers and generals are based. Efforts to use propaganda to turn them to the reformist cause have met with limited success.
@Richard V, sounds like the KMT as a whole is in a stronger position despite the clash being shifted slightly into the future. So how does the struggle between the two KMT factions turn out? Do they put off their conflict until the communists are dealt with or do they just attack each other once the communists have been contained?