KATHMANDU, 18 March, 2021, (TON):  Nepal PM, KP Sharma Oli has called for a parliamentary party meeting of the ruling CPN-UML on Thursday as the rift between the two warring factions of the party widened with the rival group convening the national gathering of cadres despite the warning of disciplinary action against those attending it, according to media reports.

The meeting will take place at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Prime Minister, who is also the Chairperson of the party, Bishal Bhattarai, party’s chief.

“All the party leaders who won elections with the symbol ‘Sun’ have been invited to the meeting,” Bhattarai said.

The call for the meeting came as the Communist Party of Nepal-UML’s rival faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal went ahead with the two-day national gathering of the party’s leaders and cadres that began on Wednesday.

Party’s senior leader Madhav Nepal is expected to present a political report on the widening rift in the party and his faction’s strategy for the coming days, it said.

The Oli-led faction had threatened to take disciplinary action against those who will attend the event organized by the Nepal-Khanal faction on Wednesday and Thursday.

CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel, in a statement, directed the party leaders and cadres not to attend the factional gathering, arguing that the UML had not organized any such event.

He warned of disciplinary action against those attending the “unauthorized” gathering.