“This election is a battle between pro- and anti-constitutional forces,” declared Pushpa Kamal Dahal in the run-up to the Nov 20 polls. The Maoist leader was addressing his party supporters in Gorkha, and his “anti-constitutional” jibe was aimed at none other than CPN-UML chief KP Oli. The CPN (Maoist Center) was contesting the elections as part of the five-party alliance led by the Nepali Congress. The rationale for this alliance was to defeat UML at all cost and give continuity to the five-party coalition government.  The alliance leaders tried to whip up voters by portraying Oli as an anti-constitutional villain. Now, Dahal finds himself in an awkward position. He is the prime minister of a hodgepodge coalition government that includes the UML, as well as the right wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

The UML, according to Dahal’s own words, is an anti-constitutional party, while the RPP is the party that champions Hindutva over secularism and still maintains pro-monarchy bent, both ideas that the Maoists detest.

Political analyst Shyam Shrestha says Dahal faces a “herculean task” of managing the parties in the coalition. “These parties have conflicting interests and ideologies. There is the main coalition partner CPN-UML with its own priorities and agendas, and there is the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which is demanding restoration of monarchy.” he says. “Managing them will certainly be difficult for Dahal.” It is not just the UML and RPP that could make Dahal’s job difficult.  The Janata Samajbadi Party led by Upendra Yadav, for instance, has reservations regarding the constitution. The Madhes-based party will likely raise the issues related to the amendment of the Citizenship Act. In such a scenario, the UML is going to object to it, pitting two coalition partners against each other. The Dahal-led seven-party coalition could also crack if the Nagarik Unmukti Party fails to secure the release of its leader Resham Chaudhary, who is serving a prison term for masterminding the 2015 Kailali massacre. It is no secret the new party joined the ruling coalition to free its jailed leader. The party was in talks with the erstwhile five-party coalition under the NC before it joined the government. Just after the election, the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government had even issued an ordinance that would have secured Chaudhary’s release. But President Bidya Devi Bhandari refused to endorse it, citing some problematic clauses. The NUP, which is led by Chaudhary’s spouse, is certainly not going to give up on its agenda. Dahal has a challenge of not just bringing a bill to free Chaudhary and other “political prisoners” but also getting it endorsed. And then there is the Rastriya Swatantra Party, a new political party led by former firebrand TV host Rabi Lamichhane. Lamichhane, who lacks experience in statecraft, has been appointed the home minister and deputy prime minister. As the leader of a new party, there is a high chance he is going to make various populist moves, which could create friction between state agencies.  Again, it will be up to Dahal to keep his home minister in line. The ruling coalition has not yet prepared its common minimum program. A Thursday’s meeting of the coalition has decided to prepare the government’s policy within five days, and Oli has been handed the responsibility. While Dahal leads the government, it is Oli and his party that is driving it. And on several domestic and external fronts, the two leaders maintain opposite views. Above all, Prime Minister Dahal must see to it that he maintains smooth, friction-less relations with Oli.  Differences between them could break the coalition. Senior journalist Yogesh Dhakal says he cannot see how Dahal will be able to satisfy his coalition partners since they are all ideologically polar opposite of one another. “This is not your usual coalition,” he says. “The Maoist party is leading the government and the pro-monarchy RPP is supporting it. How will these two parties live together?”