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For a long time, Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma have been pressuring the party leadership to take a clear stance against forming any pre-election alliances, like the one with the Maoists in the 2022 elections.

Thapa and Sharma are essentially trying to address concerns among grassroots cadres who are reluctant to support the Maoist party due to lingering animosities from the insurgency era. During the 10-year insurgency, Maoist cadres targeted NC members, killing many, seizing their properties, and expelling them from their homes.

As a result, many NC cadres at the local level are unwilling to vote for the Maoists, preferring instead to support a royalist party like the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. This resistance contributed to the poor conversion of NC votes into support for Maoist candidates, not only in parliamentary elections but also in the National Assembly elections. With Friday’s decision by the NC, it seems Thapa and Sharma have partially succeeded in advancing their position, although the decision does not explicitly rule out future electoral alliances.

“We will re-establish the Nepali Congress as a party capable of securing a majority on its own by further energizing our organization and increasing public trust and support,” reads the party’s decision. However, it does not prevent the party leadership from making last-minute decisions regarding electoral alliances. Although Thapa and Sharma believe the party can emerge as the largest without an alliance, the party’s organizational strength has significantly weakened in recent years due to inaction.

The NC is plagued by faction feuds from the central to grassroots levels, and little effort has been made to revitalize the party organization. The party’s main competitor, CPN-UML, is known for its robust organizational strength and has been launching a series of organizational campaigns even after the 2022 elections. Despite the alliance between the NC and the Maoists in 2022, the UML managed to secure an equal number of popular votes as the NC. It will be challenging for the NC to compete with the UML in many constituencies, especially as some NC cadres and leaders are gradually shifting to new parties. 

A senior NC leader commented, “We are in a difficult situation because grassroots sentiment is against the alliance, but our organization is weak, and we cannot rule out the possibility of all communist parties uniting.” This is why NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba appears hesitant to make a decisive move, leading the party’s Central Committee meeting to adopt a somewhat ambiguous decision.

The party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) approved a proposal that Thapa had presented during the meeting of the Mahasamiti, the party’s highest policy-decision making body, in February. However, the Mahasamiti was unable to decide on the proposal at the time due to opposition from Deuba. The Mahasamiti then decided to discuss the proposal in the central working committee meeting.

Deuba had instructed Thapa to revise the proposal, arguing that forming alliances is a strategic decision made before the election and not something to be publicly declared. However, Thapa refused to revise the proposal.

Political analysts suggest that Thapa’s proposal was one of the factors that led CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal to break alliance with the NC and form a new coalition with the UML in March. However, Dahal’s new coalition was short-lived, as the NC and UML announced a new coalition on July 1.

While the CWC meeting was ongoing, Deuba held a separate meeting with Vice Presidents Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dhanraj Gurung; General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma; and CWC member Ramesh Lekhak to forge a consensus on three proposals submitted by Khadka, Thapa, and Sharma. These meetings, held on Tuesday and Thursday, reached a consensus, and a framework was laid out for decisions that were eventually adopted by the CWC.

Although the party approved the proposals submitted by Khadka and Thapa, it did not pass Sharma’s proposal related to term limits. Sharma had proposed limiting leaders to one term as President, two terms as Prime Minister, three terms as Minister, and four terms as a Member of Parliament. For provinces, Sharma proposed that a leader could not serve more than two terms as Chief Minister, three terms as Minister, and four terms as a Provincial Assembly Member.

Leaders close to Deuba opposed this proposal, arguing that it was designed to prevent Deuba from becoming Prime Minister again. “I won’t rule myself out of the premiership just because you suggest it. I am not ready to give up the position yet,” Deuba reportedly said during the meeting.

The meeting decided that necessary decisions regarding term limits for various positions would be made during the constitutional amendment process. Although the meeting agreed to hold the upcoming general convention within the stipulated time frame, it did not set a specific date.

The Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress has been postponed until next week to allow time for addressing several contentious issues within the party. While there is broad consensus regarding the formation of a new coalition with the CPN-UML, a range of internal disputes continues to polarize the party’s rival factions.

For an extended period, a power struggle has persisted among the factions led by Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior leader Shekhar Koirala, and General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa. With Deuba ineligible to seek another term as party president, both Thapa and Koirala are vying for the leadership role. Simultaneously, both leaders are intent on preventing Deuba from assuming the prime ministership again, fearing he may leverage state power to influence the party convention in favor of his preferred successor.

Diverging opinions on the potential electoral alliance further complicate matters within the party. General Secretaries Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma advocate for a clear policy stipulating that the party should not engage in any pre-poll alliances. However, as the largest party, the NC faces significant challenges in contesting elections alone, particularly if the communist parties remain united. Consequently, Party President Deuba opposes making this stance an official party position.

Thapa’s political document was an instrumental factor in the collapse of the NC-Maoist coalition in March when former prime minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal aligned with the UML after the NC signaled its reluctance to form a pre-poll alliance. This maneuver left Dahal isolated, having lost the support of both the NC and UML. Reports suggest that the NC and UML have agreed not to pursue an electoral alliance with the Maoists, though this information remains unverified. The NC's experience in 2017, when it suffered a humiliating defeat after the UML and Maoists joined forces, led to a subsequent alliance with the Maoists that preserved its position as the largest political party. However, there is growing dissatisfaction within the party ranks, who argue that such alliances erode the party’s base, with many members unwilling to support the Maoists.

Deuba maintains that the party should not entirely close the door on potential alliances with other parties. This issue was prominently discussed during the party’s Mahasamiti meeting in February, yet no consensus was reached. Another contentious issue within the NC is Sharma’s proposed exit policy, which includes term limits for the president (one term), prime minister (two terms), ministers (three terms), and lawmakers (four terms). This proposal has met with strong opposition within the party, particularly from senior leaders who view it as a direct challenge to their influence.

Foreign Minister and Central Working Committee member Arzu Rana Deuba has publicly opposed the proposed term limits for the prime minister, arguing that such restrictions would be detrimental to the party's leadership structure. Within the NC, there are calls for the government to justify its alliance with the UML through its performance, with some CWC members advocating for the continuation of investigations into corruption scandals by the new government.

Another significant issue dividing the party is the upcoming general convention. Senior leader Shekhar Koirala has urged the party leadership to restore order within the party and ensure that the general convention proceeds as scheduled in Dec 2025. Speaking at a meeting, Koirala pressed President Deuba to commit to the scheduled convention and advocated for constitutional amendments to strengthen democracy and federalism. He also proposed reforms to the party structure, including amendments to the party statute to empower provincial committees, with the central leadership providing regulation while provinces implement programs. Koirala warned against postponing the general convention, cautioning that such a move could lead to dire consequences for both the NC and the broader democratic process.

Koirala expressed deep concern over the current political instability in South Asia, warning that Nepal could become a battleground for international political interests. Citing recent developments in Bangladesh, Koirala emphasized the need for a strong ethical foundation in politics to prevent similar instability in Nepal. He highlighted the growing public disillusionment with political leaders and institutions, urging the party to take these sentiments seriously.

“I have long advocated for a government formed by the two largest parties to end the protracted political instability in the country. The primary task of the current coalition government should be to initiate the process of constitutional amendment,” Koirala said. He stressed that these amendments must genuinely reflect the will of the Nepali people, ensuring that the constitution is a truly representative document. However, Koirala criticized the current government’s formation, particularly in terms of ministerial appointments at both the federal and provincial levels. “It is perplexing why parties consistently fail to prioritize good governance despite their promises,” he remarked.

Koirala also pointed out that, eight years after the promulgation of the Constitution, provinces have yet to fully exercise their constitutional rights. He called for immediate measures to strengthen fiscal and administrative federalism, urging the two major parties to use their collective strength in government to empower the provinces effectively. “If Nepali Congress ministers in the current government fail to earn public trust and confidence, the party risks facing an unforeseen decline,” he warned. 

Koirala also called for a renewal of the party’s values and principles, better governance from those in power, and unity among party members. He expressed concern about the rising tide of populism in politics, noting that even the Nepali Congress has not been immune to this trend. Koirala cautioned against allowing social media and populist tendencies to dictate the party’s direction, urging members and leaders to return to the party’s core principles and ideologies.

Two-thirds of the House of Representatives members now support the agreement between the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML to form a national unity government, though the specifics of the agreement remain undisclosed. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s major coalition partners, the CPN-UML and other smaller parties, have withdrawn their support, leaving his government in the minority.

This situation puts pressure on Dahal to resign, which is being pushed by his own party and other political factions. However, Dahal has decided to seek a vote of confidence on July 12. According to cross-party leaders, Dahal is offering the premiership to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba to disrupt the NC-UML agreement. He has indicated that the Maoists are willing to support Deuba for a full term until the next elections in 2027. This offer was made the day after Deuba and UML leader Oli signed their agreement, but Deuba dismissed it.

Despite Deuba’s rejection, Dahal continues to reach out to NC leaders. Two days ago, he invited senior NC leader Shekhar Koirala to his residence for discussions. Koirala attended the meeting with the consent of Deuba. Sources say Koirala told Dahal that reversing the current situation is almost impossible. Even senior leaders within Dahal’s own CPN (Maoist Center) are advising him to resign, but Dahal insists there is still room for political maneuvering. After the NC-UML agreement, the Rastriya Swatantra Party decided to leave the government, but Dahal asked them to stay until the confidence vote.

There is some dissatisfaction within NC and UML ranks regarding the opaque agreement between Oli and Deuba, but no leader has openly criticized it. Both parties have unanimously endorsed the agreement. NC leaders believe Dahal’s efforts to form an alliance with UML are unlikely to succeed, despite his attempts. Some ambiguous provisions in the agreement might be exploited to prevent Oli from becoming prime minister, but it is almost certain that Oli will ascend to the position under Article 76(2) of the Constitution, which mandates a coalition government since no single party has a majority under Article 76(1).

Dahal and his allied constitutional experts argue that if Dahal’s government, formed under Article 76(2), fails to secure a vote of confidence, the President should initiate government formation under Article 76(3). This would mean appointing the parliamentary party leader of the largest party, likely Deuba. Neutral constitutional experts, however, assert that the government formation process should start under Article 76(2) again after July 12. If the government is formed under either Article 76(2) or 76(3), it is likely to face legal challenges, much like the 2021 Supreme Court verdict on Oli's dissolution of the House before its term ended. The verdict emphasized that all provisions of Article 76 should be tested to form a government.

The unexpected agreement between NC and UML has left Dahal, who had maintained power by striking a balance between NC and UML, in shock. He was confident that the rival NC and UML would not join forces. Additionally, Maoist leaders believed external forces would prevent Oli from coming to power. Dahal had been frequently changing coalition partners and was recently preparing to align with NC leaders again in the guise of forming a national unity government.

NC and UML were growing weary of Dahal's tactics, and there had been long-standing support within both parties for a coalition. The deteriorating economic conditions, frequent government changes, growing communal tensions and problematic constitutional provisions compelled the first and second largest parties to unite to address the country's challenges. The rise of new political parties also gave impetus to this unconventional alliance.

In this context, Dahal’s attempts to reverse the situation are unlikely to succeed. NC leaders state that Deuba is not willing to accept Dahal’s offer of the premiership. After nearly a decade, NC and UML are joining forces again, reminiscent of their successful collaboration in 2014 to deliver the Constitution in 2015. Now, they aim to form a strong government to resolve the current problems facing the country.

Dear readers,

This week, the political landscape was dominated by a crucial agreement between the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML. These two parties have pledged to ensure much-needed political stability and to amend the 2015 Constitution to address certain “flawed provisions.” We covered this agreement from multiple angles, including a long-form article titled “The Story Behind the Formation of a New Coalition,” which explains how and why the two parties came together. We appreciate our readers’ enthusiastic response to this story. Additionally, we published a commentary titled “Can the NC-UML Alliance Bring Stability?” which questions the longevity of the to be formed government, given the parties’ past difficulties in working together.

The full text of the agreement signed by NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli has not yet been made public. With the UML pulling out its support, the Pushpa Kamal Dahal government has been relegated to the minority, but he is refusing to step down. Dahal may use constitutional provisions that allow him to face parliament within 30 days. 

Meanwhile, there are widespread concerns about the contents of the proposed constitutional amendments by NC and UML, particularly among Madhes-based parties and other groups advocating for identity politics. There are also questions about which external forces may be influencing these political developments. Speculations abound, but no definitive answers are available. Rumors suggest that Dahal’s refusal to resign might be influenced by external advice, allowing time for preparations to continue the current coalition with Deuba as prime minister. Attempts to find clues in Indian and Chinese media were inconclusive.

The agreement between Deuba and Oli has been endorsed by both parties, but it has caused some dissatisfaction as well. NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa was initially opposed but has since accepted the agreement. Similarly, there are reservations within UML, but both Deuba and Oli have a strong grip on their parties, making significant disruptions unlikely.

In another development, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which emerged from the 2022 national election, is facing an internal crisis. Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane and General Secretary Mukul Dhakal are at odds, with Lamichhane expelling Dhakal for allegedly violating party discipline. Dhakal’s symbolic protest at a party meeting, where he taped his mouth to give a message that there is no freedom of expression in the party, highlights the issue of intra-party democracy, a common issue in all political parties of Nepal.

Now onto some positives. Despite these political challenges, there has been progress in concluding the transitional justice process. The NC, UML, and the Maoist Center have formed a cross-party mechanism to address remaining contentious issues of the constitution. This team consisting of Ramedh Lekhak from NC, Mahesh Bartaula from UML, and Janardhan Sharma from the Maoist party has already started its work. The transitional justice process, initiated on the basis of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 2006, remains incomplete, but there are plans to endorse an amendment bill in the ongoing Parliament. However, new political developments could delay this process further.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continued to draw attention this week. Congress leaders reiterated their position against taking loans under the BRI, which does not offer grant provisions. Additionally, Parliament has formed panels to investigate alleged corruption in the construction of Pokhara and Bhairahawa International Airports. Meanwhile, the Nepal government has published a concept note on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and needs to accelerate efforts to regulate AI, a topic that still lacks widespread understanding in Nepal.

This week, the infamous fake Bhutanese refugee scandal once again made national headlines with the arrest of Bechain Jha and Pratik Thapa, the son of former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa. This marks a significant step in the investigation involving former ministers, their relatives and senior government officials. Cooperative scandals also made headlines this week, with police arresting many cooperative owners based on public complaints. A probe panel has been set up to investigate these cases. Home Minister Lamichhane has assured to investigate all past high-profile corruption cases. But the latest political alliance between NC and UML means Lamichhane’s days as home minister are numbered.

This week, CPN (Unified Socialist) led by former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal held its generation convention. The convention unanimously elected Nepal as party chairman and Ghana Shyam Bhushal as general secretary. The same set of leaders have returned as party office-bearers. Bhushal’s attempt to displace Nepal has turned futile. The NC-UML agreement at the center has started to impact the provincial government. For instance, UML has withdrawn the support to the Sudurpaschim government. 

I will be back with more updates next week. Wishing you all a happy weekend!

The main opposition Nepali Congress said that discussions are being held with parties about the power equation.

"It is not strange that the Congress being the largest party should lead the government. The party leadership is holding discussions with various parties about the same," party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said.

Mahat said so while the issue of forming a Congress-CPN-UML alliance is being discussed.

Earlier on Saturday, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting at Balkot.

After the meeting, this has become a hot issue in the country.

The main opposition Nepali Congress has maintained its position that an investigation should be conducted against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, who is accused of embezzling cooperative funds.

After a Parliamentary Party meeting of the Congress held this morning, Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that they would not allow the House to proceed with its business until a parliamentary committee is formed.

He said that what Lamichhane said in the Parliament was untrue, fabricated and misleading.

The Congress claimed that the Home Minister tried to run away from the allegations leveled against him in the cooperative scam.

“Lamichhane’s remarks are misleading. He tried to run away by blaming others,” he said.

It is clear that Lamichhane had misused the cooperative funds, Lekhak claimed.

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 in no uncertain terms that an individual-centric probe is simply unacceptable.

The main opposition Nepali Congress has decided to continue the House obstruction.

A meeting of the senior leaders of the party held in Singha Durbar decided to continue the obstruction until a parliamentary probe committee is formed to investigate fraud charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat accused the ruling coalition of trying to get away by saying that it would only investigate the issue of cooperatives apart from Lamichhane.

“The issue of cooperatives should be investigated. But Rabi ji is also embroiled in the case of embezzling the funds of the cooperative. Police have not taken that case ahead. That is why we demanded the formation of a parliamentary probe committee,” he said.

Leader Mahat further said that the issue of Lamichhane should also be included while forming the parliamentary committee.

“No consensus has been forged to resume the Parliament yet. The issue of Home Minister Lamichhane should also be included in the cooperative embezzlement case. The ruling coalition is not ready for that,” he said.

The Nepali Congress has decided to field Dambar Bahadur Khadka in Ilam-2 for the by-election to be held on April 27.

A Central Work Execution Committee meeting held at party President Sher Bahadur Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha on Thursday decided to field Khadka in Ilam-2 for the by-election, Publicity Department Chief Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said.

Similarly, the meeting has decided to field Abhisekh Bahadur Singh in Bajhang, he informed.

Singh is the son of late Congress lawmaker Prithvi Bahadur Singh.

The by-election is going to be held in Bajhang after Singh, the Law Minister of Sudurpaschim Province, passed away on June 20.

Ilam's candidate Khadka had lost to CPN-UML candidate Subash Chandra Nembang in the election held in 2022.

Nepali Congress has demanded formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane in the cooperative fraud.

Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives, lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada accused the government of being scared of forming a parliamentary committee.

He objected that the government, which could not form a parliamentary committee, had mentioned in its Common Minimum Program of forming various commissions.

“We heard the Common Minimum Program of the government. It has been mentioned that various commissions will be formed. What kind of commission will the government form when it expresses its reluctance to form a parliamentary committee of cooperative fraud,” he questioned.

He claimed that the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government has become unsuccessful in every sector.

The main opposition Nepali Congress has demanded formation of an investigation committee from within the Parliament itself for impartially looking into the charges of cooperative fraud leveled against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

The Nepali Congress, in the Parliament, has been calling for the resignation of the Home Minister.

Responding to the allegations on Lamichhane in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed the commitment to take action against him if the investigation proved Lamichhane as the culprit.

According to the PM, appointing Lamichhane as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister would not constitute a conflict of interest when the investigation on the complaints filed by the victims of the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperatives has already been concluded.

The NC has expressed its reservation on the Prime Minister's argument that there was no adequate evidence and basis for removing Home Minister Lamichhane from his post.

In the meeting today, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak contended that there is enough evidence that Home Minister Lamichhane is directly involved in the cooperative swindling case, claiming that loans have been found issued illegally by the cooperative in contravention of the provision in the Cooperative Act disallowing loans to the non-members.

"The Honorable Prime Minister said that there is not enough evidence, but we say there is. Let us create an environment for a fair investigation into this case. We call for the formation of an investigation committee in the Parliament itself to probe this case," the NC Chief Whip reiterated.

Referring to the instances in the past in which the government ministers have resigned from their post when questions were raised on their morality, Lekhak demanded that Home Minister Lamichhane too should resign on moral grounds and cooperate in the investigation.

Nepali Congress has demanded resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Speaking at the Parliament meeting today, lawmaker Pradeep Paudel said that Lamichhane should resign on moral grounds as questions have been raised against him.

“He should not have been the Home Minister with questions on him. The Prime Minister should not have appointed a person with questions as the Home Minister. People have been cheated in 31, 000 cooperatives. How can the victims’ problems be solved when the person under investigation is appointed as the head of the investigation department,” he questioned.

Saying that the Congress has been constantly raising questions in the Parliament, he alleged that the Prime Minister has been ignoring to answer them.

“Instead of facing the questions raised by the Congress for the past few days, he has been running away from them. The Prime Minister's double standard has been seen on this issue,” he said.

Leader Paudel said that the Congress will keep on raising questions until the Prime Minister gives satisfactory answers on the questions raised against the Home Minister.

Home Minister Lamichhane is accused of misappropriating the deposits of a cooperative.

In the Parliament session on Thursday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal presented a list of factors that led him to break the alliance with the Nepali Congress, giving continuity to the blame-game between the Congress and the CPN (Maoist Center). According to Dahal, though cadres of his party, the CPN (Maoist Center), fully supported NC candidates in elections, the level of support from NC toward Maoist candidates was far less. 

Our candidate from Koshi province got defeated in National Assembly elections as NC betrayed, he said. Another reason, according to PM Dahal, is the outcome of a recent Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, which censored the pre-poll alliance. He also questioned NC’s commitment to the Constitution, pointing that some NC leaders had spoken in favor of a Hindu state during the Mahasamiti meeting. 

Dahal objected to what he called a ‘negative portrayal’ of the Maoist insurgency in NC’s official documents and insufficient support from the ruling coalition partner for a smooth functioning of the government under his leadership. On its part, NC has accused Dahal of unilaterally breaking the ruling alliance without citing any substantial reason. 

Sharing decisions taken at the NC’s parliamentary party meeting on Thursday, Nepali Congress chief whip Ramesh Lekhak accused the Maoist Center of breaking the ruling coalition, though the Congress had always remained committed to it. 

Lekhak recalled that Congress had formed alliances with various parties for the protection of the constitution and consolidation of democracy, and contested elections accordingly, hinting at the possibility of such alliance in the coming days. 

The meeting held under NC president and parliamentary party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba discussed the evolving political scenario and decided to withdraw support given to Maoist Chair Dahal during the formation of the erstwhile government. 

Speaking in the Parliament, Lekhak said Dahal was betraying political parties repeatedly, in a pointer to stressed relations between the erstwhile coalition partners after the formation of a new ruling dispensation.

Nepali Congress has decided to withdraw its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government.

A meeting of the Central Work Execution Committee meeting held in Budhanilkantha on Tuesday decided to withdraw support extended to the government, Vice-President Dhanraj Gurung said.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had ditched his key coalition partner, Nepali Congress, to form a new alliance with the main opposition, CPN-UML.

Now, Prime Minister Dahal has to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days.

Three ministers of the Nepali Congress in the Karnali Province government have resigned from their posts. 

Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Bed Raj Singh, Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Krishna Bahadur BC, and Minister for Social Development, Khadga Bahadur Pokharel, jointly tendered their resignation before Chief Minister Raj Kumar Sharma today. 

The three ministers had organized a press meet before tendering their resignation.

On the occasion, Minister Singh said they resigned from their posts due to the country's changed context and ease the reconstitution of the provincial government.

The three ministers also made public achievements during their term.

They had served as the minister of the provincial government for 10 months and 15 days.

In a dramatic turn of events, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has ditched his key coalition partner, Nepali Congress, to form a new alliance with the main opposition, CPN-UML. According to Maoist leaders, though the breakdown in the alliance seems sudden, there was a series of misunderstandings with the NC that led to the decision.

One of the primary reasons, they say, is the recently held Mahasamiti meeting of the NC where the party’s general secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, and scores of other leaders passed a proposal stating that the NC will not forge any pre-poll alliance. It was a clear reference to the potential partnership with the Maoist party, whose political ideology is diametrically opposite with that of the NC. Similarly, a political document presented by NC Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka at the Mahasamiti meeting had portrayed the Maoist insurgency in a negative light which miffed PM Dahal. 

One senior Maoist leader said considering the constant friction encountered with the Nepali Congress, Prime Minister Dahal reached the conclusion that the alliance cannot sustain for long and started working to revive the alliance with the UML. Besides the UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janata Samajbadi Party have also agreed to enter the new alliance.     

The senior Maoist leader said that Prime Minister Dahal was in favor of continuing the Maoist-NC coalition as long as the NC was willing to forge an electoral alliance in the next general elections. While NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba seemed somewhat lenient regarding the Maoist’s condition, the NC second-rung leaders were averse to joining forces with the Maoist party ahead of the next elections.

Inside the Maoists too, many leaders were raising their voice for reviving the left alliance. 

NC leader and Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said while there were some disagreements with the Maoists, including the decision taken by the Mahasamiti meeting and the issue of Cabinet reshuffle, the NC had not anticipated that Prime Minister Dahal would go on to dissolve the coalition.

Another bone of contention between the Maoist party and NC was picking the National Assembly (NA) chairperson candidate. When the elections for 19 NA seats were held in January, the two parties had agreed to field NC’s Krishna Prasad Sitaula as one of their common candidates from Koshi province. The plan was to make Sitaula an NA member and then field him again as the NA chairperson candidate to replace the incumbent Ganesh Prasad Timilsina of the UML, whose term ends this month.    

Sitaula was elected to the NA with the Maoists backing, but the candidates from the Maoist party did not win the election. Dahal’s party later concluded that the NC did not vote for the Maoist candidates. Shortly after the NA election results, Maoist leaders including Barsha Man Pun publicly announced that the party would review its alliance with the NC. The Mahasamiti meeting of the NC further reinforced the Maoist suspicion that the alliance was unfruitful.

In the government, meanwhile, there was a continuous tussle between Prime Minister Dahal and the ministers from the Congress party, particularly Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat. For a long time, Dahal had been complaining that Mahat was bypassing him while taking key decisions. The prime minister was unhappy with Mahat as he failed to make any progress to recover the faltering economy of the country. Prime Minister Dahal wanted to replace Mahat, but Deuba was against it. Dahal was also not pleased with the way the NC was pressing him not to investigate the corruption cases where senior Congress leaders and businessmen were reportedly involved. 

While taking the decision to change the current coalition, Prime Minister Dahal has his own personal reasons. As the government was becoming unpopular for its failure to improve service delivery, tame corruption and bring the failing economy back on track, Dahal wanted to divert people’s attention by shifting the blame on an incompatible alliance. Also, with a new coalition in place, he buys himself some time and the reason to renew his vows of delivering good governance and progress.  

Since the first day in power, Prime Minister Dahal’s top priority was settling the transitional justice process. To this end, he has been continually seeking international support including the United Nations. Most importantly, he needed the support of the main opposition, UML, which was not forthcoming. It was obvious that the UML would support Dahal’s plan to conclude the transitional justice process only if he was willing to sever ties with the Congress.  With the UML’s support, Dahal wants to conclude the transitional justice process according to his own terms, although it is still not an easy task.

As the main opposition, the UML too was continuously working to break the Maoist-NC alliance. Although the UML leaders publicly said that the party was set on the mission of emerging as the majority party through the next general elections, the party had also set its sight on breaking the ruling alliance and coming back to power. Due to the NC-Maoist alliance, the UML was powerless both at the center and provinces.  Initially, the UML had even tried to forge an alliance with the NC and keep the Maoists and CPN (Unified Socialist) out of the equation, but the NC was not ready to entertain the idea. 

It is uncertain how long the latest coalition will last. But Dahal’s tenure is likely to be prolonged. According to leaders, Dahal and Oli will lead the government for an equal period. The two leaders have agreed to take this coalition until the next elections. But given Dahal’s track record, his propensity and history of flip-flopping between the UML and NC, one could argue that there could be more topsy-turvy political events before we reach the election season in 2027.

The Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to hold its Central Work Execution Committee meeting tomorrow.

The meeting will take place at 3 pm at the private residence of party President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha.

NC Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel said the meeting will hold discussions on contemporary political issues.

The office-bearers and members of the Committee have been urged to attend the meeting.