Ruling Nepal Communist Party chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has ruled out an early general convention of the party.

Dahal on Monday clarified before Standing Committee members representing the former Maoist party that the party’s general convention by November-December is not possible.

Dahal’s assertion follows reports that he had reached an understanding with other party chair and prime minister KP Sharma Oli on holding the general convention by November/December and that Oli would back him as the party chair.

“Going for the general convention is not a bad idea but without proper preparations, it is not possible as various issues including the party ideology also need to be sorted out,” Matrika Yadav, a Standing Committee member, quoted Dahal as saying at the meeting.

As many as 15 Standing Committee members from the former Maoist party had met Dahal at his residence in Khumaltar on Monday morning. Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Lekhraj Bhatta and Janardan Sharma were absent.

Following reports that Dahal had reached an understanding with Oli on the general convention, in the presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari, he had faced criticism for abandoning the agenda of seeking Oli’s resignation.

The Dahal faction, backed by senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, until a few weeks ago had piled pressure on Oli to step down both as party chair and prime minister.

The Nepal group on Sunday sought clarification from Dahal if he had reached a deal with Oli on an early general convention and if he indeed had, why he did so without consulting his allies.

According to Yadav, Oli had proposed an early general convention but with a condition that he should agree to adopting People’s Multi-Party Democracy as the party’s ideological