The faction of CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal has reached the Election Commission with letter about action against CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday.
CPN leaders Surendra Pandey, Lila Mani Pokharel, Mukti Pradhan and others have reached the Election Commission at 2:30 in the afternoon with letter showing that Oli has been punished and staking claim for sun as the election symbol claiming they officially represent the CPN.
Pokharel claimed that the faction has backing of over two-third majority in CPN central committee and told Setopati that they have gone to the Election Commission with decisions taken on Tuesday.
"We have more than 300 central members out of the current strength of 435. Oli does not even have the necessary strength to announce formal split and register a new party," Pokharel said. "Signatures of 435 is legitimate. It will not be legitimate even if Oli submits 1,500 or even 25,000 members."
CPN had 441 central members at the time of unification including 241 coming from the then CPN-UML and 200 from the then CPN (Maoist Center). Pokharel said a few central members were added after that but there are just 435 now deducting those who have died since and those who have received political and constitutional appointments.
The Dahal-Nepal faction had removed Oli as CPN chairman and replaced him with Nepal on Tuesday. It then unanimously elected Dahal as parliamentary party leader replacing Oli on Wednesday.
Oli, on the other hand, had unilaterally inducted 556 new central committee members to manufacture majority and immediately informed the Election Commission about the expansion Tuesday itself.
CPN formed after unification of the then CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) had 447-strong central committee. Oli is in acute minority in the central committee.
Oli took the decision to induct 556 new central members saying he will form a 1199-strong general convention organizing committee in the meeting of central members close to him at Baluwatar on Tuesday. He is planning to add 197 central members later to complete the 1199-strong organizing committee.
