Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma, who now heads the Communist Party of Nepal- UML (CPN-UML) after the apex court decision of nullifying the unification of the communist parties, purged the leaders in his party who are close to his rival and former prime minister Madhav Nepal. 

On Sunday, Nepal’s Supreme court nullified the registration of the unified Nepal communist party, forcing several leaders of the Dahal-Nepal faction to join their earlier party CPN-UML headed by Oli. 

Oli on Friday called a special meeting of the central committee and removed Nepal, and other leaders close to him, from key posts of the CPN-UML. The move by Oli is being seen as an attempt to tighten his grip on the party. 

According to The Himalayan Times newspaper, Oli also appointed 23 members to the party’s central committee, and all of them had earlier been associated with Dahal’s CPN-MC prior to the unification of communist parties. These leaders, after the recent apex court order, had decided to stay in Oli’s camp. 

In the Friday meeting, it was also decided to dissolve all positions of the party, except those of chairman and general secretaries. 

Responding to the Oli’s move, Madhav Nepal vowed to fight back Oli, by forming separate committees in the party. 

Dahal and Nepal, the key rivals of Oli, got a setback on Sunday after the Supreme Court ruling. The decision- to nullify the registration of the Nepal Communist Party- ultimately weakened the position of their faction and reduced the number of MPs in their fold. 

Several leaders of the Dahal-Nepal had fought the 2017 general elections on the ticket of Oli’s CPN-UML.