Kathmandu, July 27 -- The provincial power deal reached between CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal has sparked discontent within both parties, with senior leaders questioning both the process and the political rationale behind the move.

The pact, struck on Saturday after a series of meetings between the two leaders, was made without formal endorsement from either party's central committee. While Oli is said to have held informal consultations with party vice-chair Bishnu Paudel and general secretary Shankar Pokharel, the proposal was not tabled before the party's decision-making bodies before the deal was announced.

The understanding comes weeks after Oli, Dahal, Madhav Kumar N...