KATHMANDU: The much-awaited meeting between Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Prime Minister KP Oli has ended in a positive note with both the leaders agreeing to resolve the existing disputes on the basis of consensus according to the spirit of party unity.

The Chairman duo discussed for three hours today and will sit again for talks on Saturday before the meeting of the Standing Committee.

The two leaders had met at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar to thrash out the disputes that have taken to a new height within the party in the last week.

PM Oli and Dahal agreed to move ahead on the basis of understanding keeping intact the party unity as per the demand of the party leaders and supporters, a leader said.

General Secretary Bishnu Poudel and Standing Committee Member Janardan Sharma were also present at the Oli-Prachanda talks.

Today’s meeting between the two leaders was possible at the initiation taken by the second generation leaders of the party, particularly Agriculture Minister Ghanashyam Bhusal.

Minister Bhusal had this morning urged both leaders – PM Oli and Dahal – to thrash out differences on the basis of understanding consensus at this crucial juncture.

Meanwhile, the Standing Committee members, too, had urged both sides to move forward on the basis of consensus.

Meanwhile, party leaders had also advised top leaders of the party to resolve the ongoing intra-part dispute through dialogue at the earliest.

Taking to social networking sites, NCP leaders have piled pressure on party heavyweights including chairmen Pushpa Kamal Dahal and KP Sharma Oli to seek a solution to the existing problem through dialogues after intra-party crisis deepened further.

NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha has stressed party unity. Posting a twitter message, Shrestha said, “Comrades!  We should play a constructive role from our side at this time of crisis for the revolutionary transformation of the country.”

The feud within the ruling NCP took a serious turn on Thursday giving a clear hint that the party is heading closer to a split with both the factions led by Prime Minister Oli and Chairman Dahal showing no signs of flexibility.

Amid rifting dispute on key issues such as the party government-relationship, ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), evaluation of the government performance, COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by the government, Oli and Dahal are granted one more day to resolve the differences.

The standing committee meeting on Thursday had granted a one-day time to the party leadership to work out the basis for consensus.

In the meantime, amid speculations about the party split, NCP central members are meeting at the party head office at Dhumbarahi today.