Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has removed all party officials except general secretary Ishwar Pokharel and himself from their respective positions within the party.

Prime Minister Oli, however, has taken this decision without prior consultation with the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led group within CPN-UML, it has been learnt. In a series of decisions taken on Friday, PM Oli has also appointed Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa – who came on his side following a split in the ruling party after the House of Representatives was dismantled – as the Bagmati Province in-charge of CPN-UML.

Thapa has replaced leader Ashtalaxmi Sakya.Likewise, Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has been appointed as the party spokesperson.These decisions were taken by a meeting of party members close to Prime Minister Oli at his official residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu.