Nepal's political crisis has deepened with the governing Nepali Congress Party expelling Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for three years.

I have no intentions of splitting the Nepali Congress party

Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister

This is the first time in Nepal's 12 years of parliamentary democracy that a prime minister has been thrown out by his party.

The action comes three days after the prime minister recommended dissolution of the parliament and called for fresh elections.

Mr Deuba has been facing stiff opposition from within his own party to extend the state of emergency.

Analysts say his expulsion has raised the prospect of a split in the party.

Next move

Reacting to his expulsion, Mr Deuba told the BBC that he had no intentions of splitting the party.

Deuba: Planning next move

He said it was not for the party's central working committee to expel anyone.

Mr Deuba said he would soon convene a general convention of the party to discuss the issue.

Mr Deuba's expulsion came despite frantic efforts to resolve the crisis within the ruling party.

A leading figure in the Nepali Congress party, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, had returned to Kathmandu from London to oversee reconciliation efforts between Mr Deuba and a former prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala.

The dispute follows Mr Deuba's attempts to extend the state of emergency to fight Maoists rebels.

Constitutional status

Opposition parties as well as members of Mr Deuba's own party opposed the move, calling it an attempt to stifle the country's young democracy.

Finding himself in a tight spot over the revolt in his party, Mr Deuba recommended dissolution of the parliament and called for fresh elections, further angering the dissidents.

A spokesman of the Nepali Congress party, Arjun Narsingh KC, said the party's disciplinary committee rejected Mr Deuba's explanation of the controversial move.

Analysts say Mr Deuba's expulsion may not affect his position as the prime minister but may trigger a debate over his constitutional status.