Khanal, however, has refused to announce his allegiance to any faction. He says he still stands in favour of electing the party’s new leadership unanimously. “They have long been in a tug of war but I’m not going to support any one,” Khanal told the Post. “When there is no problem in party policy, I don’t understand their wrangle over the leadership.”

Leaders supporting Nepal claim that both Nepal and Khanal are preparing the name list of office bearers contesting on Nepal’s side. A majority of leaders supporting Khanal are campaigning to elevate Nepal while Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam and General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel, who were elected from the Khanal panel in the Butwal Convention, now back Oli.

During media briefings, both the candidates claim to have Khanal’s support. Nepal faction argues that since Khanal and the group share similarities in ideological terms, they will ultimately come together for implementing the party policy.

The Oli faction views the Nepali society as “semi-colonial” and “semi-feudal”, while Nepal and Khanal believe it is in the preliminary phase of capitalism so economic revolution is the need of the hour.

“Chairman Khanal fully supports us. We are one on ideological grounds. He wants me at the party’s top in order to make the organisation more dynamic and revolutionary,” Nepal told reporters on Tuesday.

Oli refuted reports of Nepal-Khanal alliance. He said Khanal has assured him of handing over the party leadership. “JN has promised to support me if my health improves,” said Oli, adding that they had been meeting on a daily basis.

Stating that he too favours the new leadership chosen in consensus, Oli said agreement would be possible if the party held a dialogue logically. Party insiders, however, say chances of consensual leadership are slim in the context of the factions preparing to announce their panels.  Panel announcement failed on Tuesday as the closed-door session could not take up the row over the number of office bearers.

Oli supporters opposed the idea of 15-member Office Bearers in the new set-up from the previous nine.

“If the Communist Party of China has a seven-member Standing Committee, why do we need a jumbo team? The idea is floated to accommodate their people in the team,” Oli charged.

A taskforce headed by party Secretary Yubaraj Gyawali has proposed 15-member Office Bearers in a 149-member Central Committee.

Once the party statute is endorsed, both the factions will announce their respective panels on Wednesday, said Rajan Bhattarai, a leader close to Oli.

In view of the possibility of statute amendment, the groups have prepared two lists of candidates for central positions.

Instead of resolving the leadership row, the factions organised supporters in a show of strength. Oli supporters gathered at Nepal Academy while Nepal’s cadres convened at the City Hall.