DPM Pokhrel and former Minister Bhattarai exploring places to patch in UML

KATHMANDU: Despite the rifting tensions in the ruling CPN-UML, Deputy Prime Minister Shankar Pokhrel and former Minister Yogesh Bhattarai met on Wednesday to see if they could find some ways to patch the differences.

According to UML sources, the DPM Pokhrel of Chairman Oli faction and former Minister Bhattarai of Madhav Kumar Nepal met again on Wednesday and held talks to explore the ways to patch the rifts.

It is said that the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office Singha Durbar discussed the possible alternatives for party unity, though without substantive result yet.

Earlier, a discussion was held between the Oli faction leader and the Nepal faction leader on Monday night. UML General Secretary Pokharel has also met senior leaders Jhala Nath Khanal and Madhav Nepal several times.

Sources said that leader Pokhrel also had discussions with Khanal-Nepal faction’s leader Bhim Rawal.

Ruling UML’s disgruntled Nepal-Khanal faction has been demanding Prime Minister and party Chairman KP Oli to scrap the decisions taken unilaterally in the former’s absence.

The Khanal-Nepal faction has been asking PM Oli to restore the party in the status quo of June 16, 2018.