KATHMANDU, March 15: Following Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's return to Baluwatar after his second kidney transplant, a section of the ruling Nepal Communist Party leaders has resumed their internal lobby to appoint Bam Dev Gautam as an upper house member. They want to exert pressure on PM Oli for the same once his health improves.

Before Oli was discharged from the hospital, NCP Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and Gautam held an informal meeting on Friday morning to discuss how to implement the party's decision to send Gautam to parliament. Leaders gathered at Dahal's residence at Khumaltar, had stressed the need for implementing the party's decision to recommend Gautam as a member of the upper house, according to informed sources.

The leaders standing aside Gautam discussed the ways to implement the decision made by the Secretariat, the apex body of the party, on Saturday as well. They reached an understanding to continue pressure on PM Oli until he implements the party's decision.

Even as the party decided to recommend to President Bidya Devi Bhandari to appoint Gautam as an upper house member under the quota to be picked by the head of state, PM Oli later objected to the party's decision. Unconvinced with the majority secretariat members' decision to recommend Gautam as an upper house member, PM Oli has been lobbying to appoint Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada to the vacant position.

To continue Khatiwada as an upper house member, PM Oli re-appointed him as the finance minister just before undergoing the kidney transplant.

Despite differences over whom to pick the upper house member in the party, both the factions remained inactive for almost two weeks after Oli was admitted to the hospital for his second kidney transplant.

With the aim of raising the issue of indecision on appointing the upper house member, Dahal  on Saturday reached Baluwatar, where the prime minister is taking rest after getting discharged from the hospital. But Dahal returned home just congratulating PM Oli for the successful kidney transplant and extending his best wish for a speedy recovery as the prime minister was not in a mood to discuss any political issue.

Shortly after Dahal returned home, another leader Nepal reached Baluwatar to meet Oli. Both the leaders have reportedly returned without discussing any political issue after the PM was unwilling to discuss such an issue, according to Oli's aides.

PM Oli, however, has not publicly commented on who to appoint the upper house member. After the meetings with Dahal and Nepal, the PM held brief discussions with his advisors and the party's general secretary Bishnu Poudel.

 
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