KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was criticised from within his party after his proposal to elect UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal the Prime Minister failed to materialise.

More than two dozen Central Working Committee members of the party criticised Deuba for moving ahead unilaterally over changing the government without holding serious discussions in the party.

Led by former General Secretary Prakash Man Singh, the leaders on Friday morning met Deuba at the latter's residence in Budhanilakantha to express their dissatisfaction, according to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti.

They also accused the former Prime Minister of tarnishing the party image by assuring someone the premiership without discussion in the party..

The leaders were of the opinion that the plan could not be implemented as it was invented without any serious discussion and taken ahead by Deuba unilaterally.

They urged the party President to correct mistakes and hold sufficient discussions over serious issues now onward.

Deuba reportedly had assured Dahal a support to form the next government in Dahal's leadership.  Following the assurance, Dahal on Wednesday had called parties to help topple the incumbent government and form the new government under his leadership.

He, however, had backtracked from the proposal within 24 hours, on Thursday.

Dahal, instead, signed a nine-point agreement with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli late night yesterday, which effectively saved the Oli government from immediate fall.

It was reported that some Congress leaders had considered Dahal's Thursday move as a betrayal.