KATHMANDU, Nov 9: Two task force members close to Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have abstained from a meeting called by Prime Minister KP Oli, who is also one of the two chairmen of the party.

Sources said Janardan Sharma-- one of the task force members close to Dahal-- instead reached Dahal's residence in Khumaltar to discuss ways to resolve the differences seen between the two chairmen of the party. Another task force member Pampha Bhusal, who is also a leader of the erstwhile CPN(Maoist Center), also did not go to Baluwatar. Both Sharma and Bhusal belong to the erstwhile CPN (Maoist Center).

However, four other members of the task force namely Shanker Pokharel, Bishnu Paudel, Surendra Pandey and Bhim Rawal reached Baluwatar at the invitation of Prime Minister Oli. Sources said they held detailed discussions with Prime Minister Oli on ways to resolve the differences seen in the party.

Amid a deepening rift with chairman Dahal, Prime Minister Oli had called a meeting of the six-member task force to resolve the differences between the two top leaders and save party unity. The development comes a day after an hours-long meeting between Prime Minister Oli and senior leader Nepal to bridge the growing differences within the party and save party unity.

Sources claimed that Oli has offered to help Nepal to be elected as the party’s chairman through unity general convention scheduled to be held early next year.

The intraparty conflict within the ruling NCP has reached its peak after five of the total nine Secretariat members demanded with PM Oli in writing to call the party’s Secretariat meeting. But Oli has been reluctant to call any meeting until the differences seen in the party are resolved at the level of the top leaders.

The task force led by Paudel, who is also the party’s general secretary, had submitted a report to Chairman Oli and Executive Chairman Dahal nearly three months ago. The chairmen duo had submitted a joint proposal in the party’s Standing Committee meeting for discussion as per the report submitted by the task force.

Party insiders say the failure on the part of Prime Minister Oli to follow the recommendations made by the task force revived the intraparty dispute that had ‘almost been settled’. Rival faction leaders have alleged that Prime Minister Oli bypassed the party’s instructions while taking various major decisions.

 
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• PM_K_P_Oli
 
• Pushpa_Kamal_Dahal