Nepal’s ruling Communist Party co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, on Friday said Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli was adamant in splitting the party amidst serious differences between them on a power-sharing deal.

His statement came days after the Standing Committee meeting of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) failed to sort out the differences between Oli and the rival faction led by former Premier Prachanda.

Addressing a function here, Prachanda alleged that a group had registered the CPN-UML at the Election Commission (EC) on the behest of the ruling NCP’s another chairman and Prime Minister Oli, My Republica newspaper reported.

Prachanda, who is demanding a new power-sharing deal with Oli, hinted that the NCP was in a crisis as a result of Oli’s behaviour.

“Our party is in a crisis as the CPN-UML party was registered at the Election Commission at the initiative of the party’s other chairman even as our meeting was underway,” Prachanda said.

Oli and Prachanda have held at least eight meetings in recent weeks to sort out the differences between them. But as the Prime Minister did not accept the one-man-one-post condition, the talks failed. Oli has refused to give up his post as Prime Minister as well as a co-chairman of the NCP. Prachanda also accused Oli of encouraging students and party cadres to stage demonstrations in his favour.