KATHMANDU: A day after being severely criticized by his own party ‘comrades’ seeking his resignation, Prime Minister KP Oli has intensified political consultations with his cabinet ministers and copper-bottomed Standing Committee members of Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

The Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday tuned out to be hostile for PM Oli as most of the influential members, besides seeking his resignation, asked him to elucidate his earlier remarks against India, which the party leaders claimed ‘damaged’ NCP’s image.

PM Oli had in a program organized at his official residence in Baluwatar last week alleged India for trying to ‘topple his government’.

Tuesday’s meeting saw 17 Standing Committee members critical against PM Oli with NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, among others seeking PM’s resignation.

PM Oli held political discussions with his ministers and others on Wednesday morning at his official residence. “The Prime Minister asked us to support him and speak in his favor during the Standing Committee meeting,” a leader close to the PM said.

The intra-party wrangling has, in recent times, touched a new height with both the camps led by PM Oli and the other led by Prachanda and Nepal adamant to their respective stance.

While the Nepal-led group camp has been demanding PM Oli’s resignation from either one of the posts – Prime Minister or the NCP Chairman, PM Oli has not budged an inch.

PM Oli, therefore, held a meeting with his cabinet ministers and some Standing Committee members on Wednesday morning to discuss ‘future course of action’.

Moreover, Oli and Dahal are sharply divided on the issue of endorsing the widely-debated Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) from the parliament, among others issues.

While PM Oli is in favor of endorsing the MCC, Dahal and Nepal are against the idea. Dahal is disgruntled with PM Oli and his approach of running the government and the party.