The emergency was re-imposed by royal decree on the recommendation of the government, according to state-run radio.

Prime Minister Deuba: Trying to rally support

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had attempted to win parliamentary approval for extending the emergency.

But when it became clear that parliament would not back him, he dissolved it and called elections.

He is now fighting to overturn a decision to expel him from the ruling Nepali Congress party, which opposed the decision to call elections.

Mr Deuba says the government needs emergency powers to combat the continuing Maoist revolt, which is seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

Rival factions

Mr Deuba is making moves to convene a general convention of the Nepali Congress party, which he believes will support him against former prime minister and party president, Girija Prasad Koirala.

I still command the majority of the parliamentary party and will prove that the general committee of the party still supports me

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba

The party disciplinary committee expelled Mr Deuba on Sunday for a period of three years over his decision last week to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

The party general convention is normally held every three years.

However, emergency meetings can be convened with the support of 40% of party members.

The BBC's Sushil Sharma in Kathmandu says that Mr Deuba believes he is confident of garnering enough support in the party.

However, our correspondent says that in elections to the post of party president last year, Mr Deuba narrowly lost to Mr Koirala.

Mediation

A top party figure and former premier, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, is attempting to resolve the growing split between the two groups.

Mr Bhattarai says the present crisis can be sorted out once tempers have cooled down.

One of his aides has said that the two factions have no option but to bury the hatchet.

A split would undermine the party's chances in elections, to be held in November.

It would also raise difficult constitutional questions about Mr Deuba's status as the caretaker prime minister in the run-up to the elections.