KATHMANDU, Feb 26: The rift within the ruling Nepal Communist Party’s (NCP) top leadership has widened, with  Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli rejecting to the party secretariat's proposal to appoint central vice-chairperson Bamdev Gautam the National Assembly member.

A meeting of the NCP secretariat held earlier this afternoon decided to nominate Gautam the NA member. The meeting was attended by all secretariat members including chairperson Oli and executive chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal, it is learnt. However, Oli is now expressing his unwillingness to appoint Gautam the NA member, according to party leaders.

"The prime minister has backtracked on his earlier decision to appoint Gautam the NA member. He conveyed his decision to secretariat members by phone this afternoon," an aide close to PM Oli said.

Meanwhile, senior NCP leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal met PM Oli later this afternoon at Baluwatar and enquired about Oli's unwillingness to nominate Gautam the NA member, according to the PM's aide. However, he did not divulge the details of the meeting.

The party secretariat meeting had decided to nominate Gautam in place of NA member Yubaraj Khatiwada whose two-year term is expiring on March 3.  Accordingly, the NCP secretariat decided to nominate Gautam.

 
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