Submit your Article

Nepali Congress (NC) President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the festivals have further strengthened the social unity.

In a message delivered on the occasion of Tihar and Nepal Sambat 1145, he extended best wishes to all Nepali people for their peace, progress, happiness and longevity. He said that festivals have helped strengthen cordial and harmonious relations.

President Deuba further noted Nepal has different castes, ethnicities, languages, religions, festivals and cultures and this has established unique unity in the diversity to promote fraternity among us.

"Tihar has also consolidated our unity. Every day of Yamapanchak has helped create new enthusiasm among all Nepalis, develop cordial relations between sisters and brothers and relatives", reads his message.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have reached Baluwatar to meet Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday.

The three senior leaders held a meeting to discuss contemporary political issues and to consult for the meeting of the Constitutional Council.

The meeting of the Constitutional Council, which was called at 5 pm in Singha Durbar on Wednesday, was postponed.

The meeting of the Constitutional Council was summoned to discuss the new Chief Justice and recommendation of Election Commission commissioners among others, a source said.

There is a constitutional provision that the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chief Justice, the leaders of the main opposition party and the Deputy Speaker should be in the Constitutional Council.

Similarly, the Judicial Council on August 24 had sent the names of eight judges to the Council to recommend the new Chief Justice.

The Constitutional Council meeting was called to discuss the names.

Nepali Congress had recently split. The president of the splinter group, Nepali Congress (Democratic), was former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. He was on a nationwide tour to expand the party organization.

On 23 Aug 2002, there was a mass meeting in Kanchanpur. After concluding the meeting, Deuba reached Dhangadhi on the same evening. The next day, on Aug 24, he met with party workers in the morning, had lunch, and departed from Dhangadhi at 1pm with plans to reach Nepalgunj by 4pm.

Since King Gyanendra had removed him from power, the government had not provided Deuba with an official vehicle, nor had they arranged adequate security for him. Deuba was traveling in his own Toyota Land Cruiser, accompanied by a driver and two bodyguards.

Deuba’s car was being escorted by a police vehicle. In the lead vehicle, which belonged to the Department of Roads, there were seven police personnel. The vehicle had only been secured with difficulty, as the Chief District Officer had initially sent a vehicle covered with a tarpaulin, which Deuba’s bodyguard, Sub-inspector (SI) Ramji Katuwal, had rejected. Katuwal had then arranged for the vehicle from the Department of Roads, which was now carrying the police escort.

About 45min after leaving Dhangadhi, Deuba's vehicle reached Amkhaiya in Pahalwan Pur. Some 7-8 Maoist fighters in combat dress were standing on the road with the intent of stopping the vehicle.

The geographical area of Amkhaiya, situated between Pahalwanpur and Masuriya on the East-West Highway, was ideal for ambushing vehicles on the road. There were hills on both sides of the road, and a forest in between. SI Katuwal quickly realized that the Maoist fighters were already positioned in the forested hills on either side, ready to attack.

He noticed an LMG (Light Machine Gun) placed on a tripod and ready to fire. The vehicle was moving at over 100km/h, and he instructed the driver to speed up even more. When the attempt to stop the vehicle failed, the Maoists opened fire with the LMG from both sides of the road. The bullets punctured both rear tires of the police vehicle, which continued moving on its rims. The Maoists then launched a barrage of gunfire at Deuba’s vehicle, hitting it three times.

One bullet struck the front bonnet, another the tail light on the right, and the third hit the upper part of the front wheel cover. All the bullets were deflected by the vehicle's metal body. The can didn’t sustain much damage. The sound of bullets hitting the vehicle was loud, and Deuba asked Katuwal if stones had been thrown at the car.

The police in the lead vehicle fired back while lying down, and the police vehicle continued to advance under heavy fire from the Maoists above.

At around 1:45pm, a police vehicle arrived at the scene. A group of Maoists attempted to stop the vehicle, but it didn’t stop. The Maoists then fired from the LMG which hit the rear tires of the lead vehicle. To protect Deuba from the attack, SI Katuwal moved him to the back seat, covering him along with another bodyguard, Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Babukaji Khadka.

The location, the premeditated nature of the attack, and the presence of Maoist fighters in the area all indicated that the Maoists had intended to kill Deuba. “We managed to escape with him,” Katuwal recalled, adding, “We covered him so thoroughly that a bullet would have had to go through us to reach him.”

With the tires of the police vehicle damaged by the bullets, its speed decreased. Deuba’s vehicle then pulled ahead, leaving the police vehicle behind. Despite the damage, the police vehicle also managed to get out of Amkhaiya. After clearing the forested area, Deuba’s vehicle finally stopped. The police vehicle arrived shortly after but was in no condition to continue. The driver had somehow managed to get the vehicle there and save all the police personnel. 

SI Katuwal then transferred the seven police personnel from the lead vehicle into Deuba’s vehicle. The driver, Prem, then sped towards the security base camp in Sukhad. It was around 2:30 pm. When Deuba’s vehicle arrived at Sukhad, the Maoists set fire to the police vehicle that had been left behind on the road.

Prem Khatri, who worked with the Armed Police Force, was Deuba’s driver. Khatri remained calm during the attack, controlling the vehicle with composure and safely reaching Sukhad. “Only then did we all feel safe,” said Katuwal.

“Thank goodness nothing happened,” Katuwal remarked. Despite the severity of the attack, Deuba remained composed. SI Katuwal had a police walkie-talkie set, but it didn’t work in the jungle, so he was unable to inform higher authorities about the Maoist attack.

From Sukhad, SI Katuwal informed the Chief District Officer about the Maoist attack on Deuba. 

Katuwal then contacted Deuba’s residence to inform them that he was safe. Deuba’s wife, Arzu Rana, was attending a program in Parbat and couldn’t be reached, so Katuwal relayed the information to Deuba’s brother-in-law, Bhushan Rana. Deuba later spoke to his wife, Arzu, after 7 pm.

It was during a ceasefire, and Deuba, having been ousted from power by King Gyanendra, had no reason to suspect that the Maoists would attack him. That is why he had set out from Dhangadhi to Nepalgunj with only minimal security. The country was under direct rule by the king, and the government had been so negligent in providing security to the former prime minister that they hadn’t even provided him with an official vehicle. Deuba had to have his own Toyota Land Cruiser brought from Kathmandu.

Deuba was unwilling to stay in Sukhad overnight. He informed SI Katuwal that he planned to stay in Nepalgunj that night. However, Katuwal advised against it, as there was no guarantee that the Maoists wouldn't attack again, and it wasn't safe to head to Nepalgunj.

The news of the attack on Deuba had spread like wildfire. The Chief District Officer informed the Ministry of Home Affairs about the incident. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hem Bahadur Gurung was the Chief of Police in the Mid-Western region at the time. SI Katuwal requested a helicopter from Gurung, but the government was unwilling to send a military helicopter. The DIG informed Katuwal that a private helicopter couldn’t be arranged either, citing security risks.

Chief of the Nepali Army, Prajwal Shamsher JBR, called to get details about the attack and security situation. He then arranged for an anti-mine vehicle to be sent to Sukhad. Deuba was willing to go to Nepalgunj in that vehicle, but it couldn’t accommodate the entire police team. Deuba didn’t want to stay in Sukhad; he wanted to move on. However, Katuwal advised that it wouldn't be wise to move immediately.

Deuba was scheduled to address a mass meeting of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) in Tulsipur, Dang, the next day. He was concerned that if he didn’t attend, it would send a message that he had been frightened away, and this would demoralize the party workers.

“The attack on Deuba wasn’t premeditated. It was an accidental incident,” said KC. That evening, Sudurpaschim Bureau In-charge of the Maoists, Post Bahadur Bogati, issued a statement, apologizing and acknowledging that the attack on Deuba was a mistake.

That night, Deuba stayed in Sukhad. Additional security forces were deployed for his protection. The next morning, the Defence Secretary sent a helicopter, which Deuba took to Nepalgunj. After having lunch in Nepalgunj, Deuba flew on a helicopter to Tulsipur in Dang and addressed the party’s mass meeting before returning to Kathmandu.

Following Deuba in another vehicle were senior party leaders, including Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh and Pradeep Giri. Upon learning about the attack on Deuba, they stopped at the Armed Police Force’s Badimalika Battalion in Banbehda and stayed there for the night. The next day, they too traveled to Tulsipur via Nepalgunj.

That evening, Sudurpaschim In-Charge of Maoist Post Bahadur Bogati issued a statement apologizing, stating that there had been no plan or decision to attack Deuba and that the incident had occurred by mistake.

‘Deuba got caught in the crossfire by mistake’

It was during a ceasefire. Four Maoist cadres who had returned home were killed in an attack by the police in Badhaipur, Masuriya. After that incident, the Maoists were furious with the police and decided to retaliate in kind: ‘an eye for an eye’. They planned to kill the police in the same manner that the police had killed their comrades.

For several days, a battalion of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army had been waiting near Masuriya and Pahalwanpur area, preparing to ambush the police. The battalion was commanded by Bijay KC. His team received intelligence that a police unit was coming from Attariya. The Maoists had already chosen the location for the ambush—the Amkhaiya forest in Pahalwanpur.

Amkhaiya lay on the route between Masuriya and Pahalwanpur. With hills on both sides, it was an ideal location for the Maoists to attack vehicles on the road. They positioned themselves on the hills, ready to ambush the  police vehicles.

The police vehicle arrived at around 1:45 pm. A group attempted to stop the vehicle on the road, but it didn’t stop. Then, the Maoist fighters positioned on the hills opened fire with an LMG. The bullets fired by the Maoists damaged both rear tires of the lead vehicle. The driver, without losing control, sped up the vehicle. After that, they attacked the vehicle behind. The rear vehicle sped forward so quickly that it dodged the bullets, though three bullets did hit the vehicle. However, the bullets struck the vehicle’s metal body and did not cause any significant damage.

The Maoist fighters were disappointed that their ambush on the police had failed. They had been waiting to ambush the police to avenge the killing of their comrades.

As evening fell, news spread everywhere that former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had been attacked by Maoists in Aamkhaiya, Kailali. “We were shocked,” Commander Bijaya KC, involved in the attack, said, “We were planning to attack the police, but mistakenly ended up attacking the vehicle carrying former Prime Minister Deuba.”

“Our intelligence had informed us that the police were on their way, and based on that information, we had positioned ourselves for an attack in Aamkhaiya,” KC explained. “When the police vehicle arrived, we attacked from the hills with an LMG. Although the bullets damaged the vehicle, the driver managed to maintain control and sped away, preventing any casualties.”

“We had no idea that the police were escorting the former Prime Minister’s vehicle. The incident happened due to a failure in our intelligence. Neither was it an attack on Deuba, nor did the Maoist party have any such plan or decision.”

“We only realized later that Deuba had been caught in our attack. Fortunately, nothing happened to him. We used the LMG because we couldn't find a suitable spot to deploy the rocket launcher,” KC added. “Had we used the rocket launcher, no one in the vehicle would have survived.”

“The attack on Deuba was not intentional; it was an accident,” KC stated. 

Accordingly, Post Bahadur Bogati, the in-charge of the Far-Western Bureau of the Maoist, issued a statement apologizing for the unintentional attack on Deuba.

Unofficial translation of an excerpt of Upadhyaya's book ‘Dwandwa Patrakaritako Ek Dashak’ (A decade of conflict journalism)

Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and a group of party lawmakers discussed domestic air safety issues with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The meeting was focused on progressing the civil aviation bills aiming to split the existing Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal into two entities: as a service provider and a regulatory body.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Rajendra Bajgain said that during the meeting they discussed the need to proceed ahead with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Bill and the Air Service Authority of Nepal Bill along with other contemporary issues.

They also touched on the issues relating to the need to enhance the safety of Nepal's aviation sector, making it reliable and connecting it to the development and promotion of the tourism industry.

According to Bajgain, their (NC lawmakers) conclusion is that the same body (CAAN) functioning as the service provider and the regulatory simultaneously is capable of promoting the conflict of interests. This is in contravention of the international practices as well. That's why it is warranted to split the aviation body into two entities and advance towards air safety.

It is noted that the European Union has concerns over air safety in Nepal and advised Nepal to have separate bodies for the service providing and the regulation.

Deuba was accompanied by Jeevan Pariyar, Ramesh Lekhak, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, Ishwori Neupane, Sanjay Gautam, Uday Shumsher Rana, Rajan KC, Pratima Gautam, Sarita Prasai, Ramkrishna Yadav, Pushpa Bahadur Shahi, Shanti Pariyar, and Sita Mijar including Bajgai.

The twin bills that had been endorsed by the National Assembly turned deactivate upon reaching the House of Representatives, according to Bajgain.

Throughout Monday, the media and political circles were on edge due to reports of a possible change of government. Even top leaders of major parties were struggling to uncover what had transpired during recent meetings between Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the main opposition Nepali Congress, and KP Sharma Oli, CPN-UML chairman and a major coalition partner in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. 

The secrecy maintained by Deuba and Oli regarding the content of their meetings has further fuelled the rumor that NC is attempting to remove Dahal from power by forming a new alliance with UML. 

Despite the rapid developments on Monday and chatter on social media, there were no clear indications of any top-level political maneuvers. 

But according to multiple sources, it is evident that Congress has indeed offered the premiership to Oli, who was ousted from power in 2021 following a Supreme Court order. Oli and his party may take some time to decide on the offer from NC, the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives. 

After a long gap, Deuba visited Oli's residence in Balkot this Saturday, following two rounds of talks in Kathmandu. There are reports that Deuba and Oli have agreed to form a national consensus government to address current issues such as constitutional implementation and economic challenges. Oli has repeatedly stated that the country cannot progress in its current state and is consulting within his party about the NC’s offer.

Oli is reportedly dissatisfied with the government's performance, including the recently passed budget, which he claims was introduced without coalition consultation. This makes it difficult for him to make an immediate decision, especially since his closest rival, NC, has offered him the prime ministerial position.

In a meeting with his party’s top leaders on Monday, Deuba mentioned his cordial relationship with Oli but refrained from commenting further on their ongoing talks. Deuba did not share concrete details with his party colleagues. On the same day, Prime Minister Dahal and Oli held a lengthy discussion, but neither side disclosed the content of their meetings. When asked about the possibility of becoming prime minister, Oli told journalists that he might not assume the role this year.

Amid discussions of an NC-UML alliance, Prime Minister Dahal addressed the Cabinet, assuring them that the current government would continue for a long time. Government Spokesperson Rekha Sharma stated, “The prime minister briefed that media reports regarding a new government are untrue and there have been no talks about forming a national unity government.”

Sources indicate that Oli favors forming a national unity government rather than a coalition of just two parties. The key agenda for such a government would be to amend the constitution, change the current electoral system, and remove secularism from the constitution.

Sher Bahadur Deuba and KP Sharma Oli, leaders of the first and second largest parties in the House of Representatives (HoR), had their first private meeting in more than two years at an undisclosed location three weeks ago. The two leaders had another meeting at Balkot, Oli’s residence, on Saturday.  

While meetings among top leaders of different parties should not be a big deal, the meetings between Deuba and Oli have created a stir both domestically and internationally. Both leaders have maintained strict secrecy about the contents of their discussion.

These meetings have likely caused significant unease in Baluwatar, the prime minister’s official residence, as well. This is why Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called Oli early Sunday morning and scheduled a meeting in the afternoon. In the meeting, Dahal and Oli discussed the critical political situation of the country.

Before March 4, when Dahal broke away from Deuba’s Nepali Congress and joined forces with the Oli-led CPN-UML, Deuba repeatedly declined Oli’s requests for a meeting, fearing it might upset Dahal. However, after the breakdown in coalition, Deuba was willing to engage with Oli to form an alliance against Dahal, who leads the CPN (Maoist Center). Since then, a faction of the NC, including President Deuba, has been working to dismantle the current coalition in favor of a partnership between the first and second largest parties. The UML, however, is divided on this issue. Nonetheless, there have been increased talks between the two sides in recent weeks. Following his meeting with Oli, Deuba has called a meeting of the party’s office bearers for Monday.

According to NC Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel, the meeting will delve into the contemporary issues. Multiple persons privy to this development told ApEx that there are many issues that NC and UML are discussing in order to resolve the problems that country is facing. There are reports that UML Chairperson Oli is unhappy with the immature approach being adopted by Prime Minister Dahal and his deputy and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane. 

One UML leader said Oli is of the view that instead of focusing on service delivery and addressing the economic crisis that country is facing, both Dahal and Lamichhane are engaged in political stunts. There are also concerns that some ministers in the Dahal government are reportedly using corruption allegations as a political weapon to retaliate against opponents. 

The UML leader said Oli has advised Prime Minister Dahal against following the ‘Pakistani model’ of politics, where parties in power often use corruption charges to jail political opponents.

The issues extend beyond the government. The country’s economic situation is dire, there is growing pessimism among the population, and youth emigration is alarmingly high. Geopolitical tensions have further impacted the domestic political situation, and religious tensions are rising in some parts of the country. Additionally, the current constitution, adopted a decade ago, has several flaws that need addressing to ensure political stability.

Both NC and UML leaders argue that it is time to review and amend the constitution. Their current negotiations focus not on forming a government but on addressing the political situation. There is a growing realization that national unity among major parties is indispensable to ensure political stability and to inspire hope among citizens. The UML is advocating for a national government including the NC, UML, and the Maoist party. If the Maoist party is unwilling, some leaders say, the NC and UML could form a government capable of amending the constitution.

To amend the constitution, parties may agree to form an expert panel, with Parliament initiating political changes later. NC and UML particularly want to change the current mixed First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system, which they believe is the primary cause of political instability in Nepal.

Within the NC, senior leader Shekhar Koirala has been leading talks with the UML and other leaders. They believe that as long as the current electoral system remains, a single-party majority government is almost impossible. Provincial governments have become unstable, with related cases reaching the Supreme Court. Along with the electoral system, parties might also discuss changes to the secularism provision of the constitution.

While immediate changes are unlikely, the ongoing negotiations between the NC and UML could yield substantial results in the coming weeks. Both parties believe that without addressing these issues before the next election, maintaining political stability over the next 10-15 years will be impossible, which would harm the country’s progress and stability.

There’s no progress in status quo: Oli

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has said that the country cannot move ahead in its current state. Speaking at a program organized in Kathmandu on Sunday, he mentioned that no one should insist that there is progress in status quo.

The UML leader emphasized the need for entrepreneurship and professionalism to modernize agriculture and create job opportunities. To rise above poverty, he said the country should increase its agricultural output.

“We need to increase production through modernization and the use of technology, but government policies have not been able to address this. We need a solid policy for this to happen,” said Oli.

He also expressed concern that villages were becoming deserted as the produce from the hills could no longer sustain livelihoods. He mentioned that the biggest challenge for Nepal currently is to bring the population below the absolute poverty line to a state where they can have enough to eat.

Oli also said that he has advised Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal not to get entangled in minor appointments and to move forward considering the bleak circumstances of the country and its citizens.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba in his bid to end the current House deadlock created by the Congress.

Prime Minister Dahal had reached Budhanilkantha to urge Deuba to end the Parliament impasse, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed.

It has been said that they discussed contemporary political issues for around 40 minutes.

Senior leaders of the major political parties are holding a meeting to finalize the terms of reference (ToR) of the parliamentary probe committee.

The NC has long been obstructing the parliamentary proceedings, alleging the involvement of Deputy Prime Minister Lamichhane in the fraud and demanding the formation of a parliamentary committee to ensure a fair investigation into the case whereas the CPN-UML and RSP in particular have made it clear that an individual-centric probe is simply unacceptable.

The government is preparing to endorse the government’s policies and programs in the Parliament meeting today.

Congress lawmakers, however, have been saying that they would allow the House to function until the parliamentary probe committee is formed.

The main opposition is organizing a mass demonstration today to mount pressure on the government.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has underlined the need for dialogue, consensus and collaboration among all to protect and promote the existing democratic republic system.

In his address to a ceremony held in Godavari of Lalitpur today to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the establishment of Communist Party of Nepal, the leader said, "The CPN completes 75 years of its inception and I congratulate all on this occasion. Minimum consensus and collaboration in the political sphere are needed to strengthen democracy and the republic, to promote the rights of the citizens, and to establish durable peace and good governance in the country."

The parliamentary leader from the main opposition party urged the government to take the concerns of the oppositions in the parliament seriously.

 The leader also questioned an 'unsolved mystery' behind the 'murder' of veteran Communist leader Madan Bhandari.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the main opposition Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting on Thursday.

During the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar, the two leaders discussed transitional justice, smooth running of the federal parliament and other contemporary issues, said Prime Minister's press expert Manohari Timilsina.

Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting on Tuesday night.

Congress President Deuba had reached the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar at 9:45 pm to hold a discussion with Dahal.

According to a Baluwatar source, Dahal and Deuba held a meeting for almost one hour.

“Deuba had come to meet the Prime Minister at 9:45 pm. During the meeting, they discussed TRC Bill and by-elections to be held on April 27 among other contemporary political issues,” the source said.

Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, National Assembly Parliamentary Party leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Prime Minister Dahal held a meeting.

After that, President Deuba along with other party leaders went to Baluwatar to meet Dahal.

On the occasion, Deuba expressed his dissatisfaction saying that he changed the alliance by not holding a serious discussion internally.

Dahal and Deuba held a meeting for the first time after the formation of a new coalition. Their meeting has been seen as meaningful.

The by-polls are being held in Ilam-2 and Bajhang Province Assembly-1 on April 27.

The CPN-UML has already made a decision to field Suhang Nembang in Ilam-2 and Damang Bhandari in Bajhang Province Assembly-1.

Other parties have not finalized the candidates for the by-elections yet.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was fully confident that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal would hand over the power to him in 2025. So he was treading cautiously to keep the current coalition intact, extra careful not to upset Dahal. 

In Deuba’s own words, he refused to meet the opposition leader, KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML, despite the latter’s repeated requests. He even turned down Oli’s premiership offer, because he didn’t want to betray Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center). But little did Deuba know that Oli’s UML had also been making overtures to Prime Minister Dahal to break the Maoist-NC coalition and form a left alliance. 

While it is true that the relationship between Dahal and Deuba was fraught with disagreements and misunderstandings, Deuba never thought they were serious enough to break the alliance.
According to NC leaders, the current situation resonates with the incident of 2017 when the Maoist party while being in the NC-led government forged an electoral alliance with the UML. Consequently, the NC faced a historic drubbing in the general elections, while the Maoists and UML went on to unify to become the largest communist party that the country had ever seen. The unified communist party, however, split to their old forms following a power tussle between Dahal and Oli.  

Now the two communist parties are together again and the Nepali Congress, which emerged as the largest political party through the 2022 parliamentary elections, has been relegated to the opposition’s role. Deuba’s party has also been stripped of power in the provinces. The NC has been in this same situation before. Soon after the 2022 general elections, the NC had taken a firm stance of forming a government under its leadership. This led the Maoists to switch sides and make an alliance with the UML to form a government. But once again, there was a power tussle between Dahal and Oli, and the Maoist-UML coalition fell through. 

The NC returned to power after agreeing to Dahal’s condition that he should be allowed to lead the government for two years. As per the agreement, Deuba would lead the coalition government for the final two years of the five-year term, and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist) would helm the government for one year after the end of Dahal’s term.  

With everything that had occurred between the Maoists and UML, with all the bad blood between Dahal and Oli, there was no reason for Deuba to suspect that something was amiss. How wrong was he! 

In Monday’s office-bearers meeting, Deuba called Dahal a betrayer for secretly aligning with the UML without any solid reason. While Deuba and his supporters have taken it as a major loss to the NC, leaders like Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa are of the view that it will be beneficial to the party in the long-run. 

Koirala said break-up and formation of alliances is a normal affair in politics, even though Prime Minister Dahal abandoned the NC in an abrupt and abnormal manner. 

He added that the NC should be careful about forging such an alliance in the future.

For a long time, Koirala was against the NC-Maoist alliance. The party’s general secretary duo Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma also held contradictory views regarding the alliance with the Maoist party. Even though the Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel was elected the President with the support of the Maoists, Thapa, Sharma, Koirala and other NC leaders were concerned that the alliance with the Maoist party was compromising the party’s ideology and eroding the support base. 

In the recently concluded Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, Thapa and his team took a firm position that the party should make an official stance that it will not forge any electoral alliance in the next general elections. So the party endorsed the proposal to not form a pre-poll alliance while also committing to give continuity to the NC-Maoist coalition until the next elections. 

It was a reason enough for Prime Minister Dahal to sever ties with the NC. Dahal was also unhappy with the performance of the NC ministers. Some leaders say the prime minister was also being pressured by the NC not to investigate high-profile corruption scandals involving politicians and businesspersons.

The NC was allegedly putting pressure on Prime Minister Dahal to remove Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, claiming that Shrestha was targeting NC leaders by opening investigations into past corruption cases. 
The NC is currently discussing their future course of action. So far it is not clear whether the party will remain in opposition and prepare for the 2027 general elections, or start making efforts to dismantle the Maoist-UML coalition all over again. 

Youth leaders of the party are of the view that the party should remain in the opposition and focus on party building, but the decision rests upon Deuba, who holds a major sway in the party. Koirala said the NC should learn a lesson from this episode, but it is really Deuba who should.  

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed the confidence that the Mahasamiti meeting of the party will make the party stronger and united.

Speaking at the party's Mahasamiti meeting that began in Godavari, Lalitpur today, he said that the event is being eagerly watched inside and abroad with the expectation that it will make the Congress stronger and more unified.

Deuba said that the Mahasamiti meeting will discuss the policy issues of the party and prepare a document by incorporating the suggestions received in the meeting. "The Congress has a long history of struggle for the establishment, restoration and protection of democracy in the country. Whenever there is a crisis in the country, the Congress has led and provided a solution. It is because of its determination to never compromise with democratic values that this party has succeeded in building a name for itself at the national and international level," he said.

Deuba, who is also the former prime minister, said that the need of the day at present is to protect and effectively implement the Constitution.

He also made it clear that the coalition government was formed not merely for the formation of a government but to neutralize efforts to lead the country towards political instability by dissolving the House of Representatives and thereby put the Constitution at risk. "The Congress is always for dialogue, understanding and cooperation and mentioned that competition between political parties is natural," he added.

Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that all festivals of the country are the heritage of our social relations and cultural harmony.

In a message of best wishes on the occasion of Chhath festival, he said that festivals help to develop a spirit of collectivism and help to build the foundation of unity and harmony.

Extending his best wishes for happiness, peace, prosperity and success to all on the occasion of this festival, Deuba said that Nepal is a country with diverse festivals, religious and cultural traditions and with a harmonious tradition of respecting and honoring one another's religious and cultural traditions.

Leader Deuba has also wished that the Chhath festival may inspire all everyone to promote social harmony by creating an atmosphere of happiness, peace and prosperity.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal may not have any imminent threats to his government, but things are not smooth either. There are strong voices inside the Nepali Congress, key coalition ally in the Dahal-led government, that the party should reconsider its alliance with the CPN (Maoist Center). 

Recently, a faction within the NC urged the party president, Sher Bahadur Deuba, to reevaluate the alliance with the Maoists. Leaders warned Deuba that Dahal may not hand over the government reins without the guarantee of another electoral alliance. 

Dahal’s only consolation is that Deuba is still in favor of maintaining the current coalition. 

Voices within the NC are also suggesting that the party should consider joining forces with the main opposition, CPN-UML, instead. Proponents of this alliance argue that the coming together of the two largest parties would diminish the bargaining power of smaller political parties and provide a stronger government capable of amending laws and implementing necessary reforms.

People are growing increasingly frustrated with major political parties due to the government's perceived inability to deliver on its promises. Many believe that the country's overall situation, including its economic prospects, could improve if the two major parties united.

Political analyst Puranjan Acharya, who has close ties with NC leader Shekhar Koirala, says that there are strong internal calls within the party to detach from the current coalition. However, Deuba remains optimistic that Dahal will eventually transfer power to him, and this optimism has hindered substantial discussions with the UML regarding a potential new government.

UML leaders believe that Deuba is being influenced by Prime Minister Dahal and are hesitant to engage in discussions about national politics. As for Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, they rarely sit for bilateral talks.

The relationship between Deuba and Shekhar Koirala is also deteriorating, with Koirala becoming a vocal critic of the Dahal-led government. A few days back, Koirala accused Prime Minister Dahal of fueling communal violence by supporting identity-based politics. He said that Dahal had a couple of months to mend ways to end anarchy.  And on Monday, Koirala warned Prime Minister Dahal and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka against politicizing the Nepal Army. 

Koirala's faction has even defied Deuba and forged an alliance with the UML in Koshi province, which has remained unstable since the previous election. Koirala has the support of nine provincial assembly members in Koshi, which is too little to form a government. But he worked with the UML to make Kedar Karki the chief minister of the province. 

Karki was appointed the new chief minister of Koshi province with backing from 47 lawmakers—39 from UML and eight from the NC.  To achieve this, Koirala, Minendra Rijal and other Congress leaders had worked very hard. 

Deuba had supported the Maoist candidate. With the backing of leaders like Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Purna Bahadur Khadka, Deuba had even threatened to hand over the chief minister’s post to the Maoist party if his choice of candidate is not allowed to become the chief minister.

The developments in Koshi have reverberated within the federal government, leading to a joint meeting between Dahal, Deuba and Koirala, which resulted in an agreement to accept Karki as the chief minister of the coalition.

A written agreement among three leaders says: “We are firm and clear toward the current power alliance and we will not allow this alliance to weaken under any circumstances.”  The agreement, at least for now, has saved the alliance at the center. 

The UML also  appears positive on welcoming NC in the provincial government, but the party will not entertain other parties including CPN (Maoist Center). It has warned of withdrawing the support to Karki if any other party joins the provincial government.

While it has become clear that Koirala seeks to oust the Dahal-led government, he currently lacks the support within the party to make a decisive move. However, he is gaining ground within the party to challenge Deuba's dominance.

Koirala needs the support of Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa to challenge Deuba, who controls the Parliamentary Party and Central Working Committee. Despite internal divisions, both Koirala and Thapa are united in their stance against forming an electoral alliance with the Maoist party in upcoming local and national elections.

Although the situation in Koshi province may not have an immediate impact on the central coalition, Acharya says, the growing dissatisfaction within the Congress could potentially lead to the emergence of a new coalition in the coming months.