The party earlier formed the KDOC after dissolving the existing district committee. Members of the district committee defied the decision to dissolve the body, saying that it was against the party statute as the decision was taken by a nominated body- the valley coordination committee. Party senior leader KP Oli, who was defeated by Jhala Nath Khanal in the contest for party chairman at the convention in February, commands a majority in the district committee, while the newly-formed organization committee is a stronghold of the Khanal faction.
The district organization committee had convened a similar gathering in Kathmandu on Thursday. Addressing the gathering, Khanal had claimed that the dissolution of the district committee was as per the party statute.
Khanal and Vice Chairmen Bamdev Gautam and Ashok Rai among other leaders threatened to take action against the district committee members for continuing their parallel activities in defiance of the party decision to dissolve the committee. Also, the top leaders warned of action against Oli and Vice Chairperson Bidya Bhandari for criticizing the party chairman through the media.
While addressing the gathering on Saturday, Oli and other leaders challenged the party leadership to take action against them.
"I am ready to give up my position as a standing committee member. But, the leadership should understand that taking such action against us will be like cutting down a tree while sitting atop it," he said. Oli meant that if the party leadership dares to take action against his supporters, Khanal will be reduced to leader of a handful of people. The Oli faction is strong in the party rank and file.
Central members Krishna Gopal Shrestha and Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said that some top leaders were hatching a conspiracy to once again invite a vertical split in the party. They were quite aggressive against the Khanal faction. They even threatened that action will first be taken against Khanal, Gautam and Rai.
"The same leaders who had invited a split in the party in 1997 are now involved in similar activities in the party. We will not let them succeed in their ploy at any cost," Dhakal said. The UML party split vertically in 1997. Gautam led the revolt and formed the CPN-ML. The party was later reunified.
Shrestha was even more aggressive. "We are now ready for confrontation," he said.
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