Senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday questioned party Chairman and former PM KP Sharma Oli why a leftist alliance he presided over during his prime ministership had failed.

Nepal was referring to the UML-CPN (Maoist Centre) alliance that propelled Oli to the PM’s post in October last year. Leaders attending the party’s Standing Committee meeting that

started on Sunday were divided over the cause of a sudden rift in the alliance even when all the leaders wanted its continuity.

Senior leaders Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal, as well as Bamdev Gautam, blamed Oli for the end to UML-Maoist partnership.

Oli replied that he had done his best to keep the alliance intact.

“Leaders urged the party leadership to exert pressure on the government to implement the policies and programmes and the budget presented by the UML-led government,” Vice-chair-person Asta Laxmi Shakya told the Post.