Amid rising tensions in the ruling party with chair KP Sharma Oli showing reluctance to hold party meetings, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the other chair, has called an "informal" meeting of the Secretariat.

According to Shreeram Dhakal, secretary at the party office, the meeting has been called for 3pm Friday at the party headquarters in Dhumbarahi.

“I am making preparations for the Secretariat meeting, which I have been told is informal,” Dhakal told the Post. “I have learned that the meeting was called after consulting with all [Secretariat] members.”

Since the meeting is informal, it cannot take any decision per se, but it is a symbolic move from Dahal aimed at building pressure on Oli, say insiders.

After Dahal demanded the meeting of the Secretariat earlier this week, Oli not only flatly rejected the call but also threatened with a "big action" if party meetings are called and decisions are made.

The faction led by Dahal in the party, which is backed by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, has been seeking a meeting of the party Secretariat for quite some time.

“Dahal met with Oli on Thursday to urge him to join the Secretariat meeting but he refused saying that the meeting would take a decision against him,” said Matrika Yadav, a Standing Committee member. “Oli had urged Dahal to forge an agreement between two chairs before calling the meeting.”