Province 1 is set to be named Koshi with the ruling CPN agreeing for the name.
There were two kinds of proposals even within the ruling CPN that commands comfortable majority in the province. Lawmakers from the erstwhile CPN-UML wanted it to be named Koshi with Sagarmatha kept as an alternative while those from Maoist Center wanted the word Kirant to be added with Koshi.
A member of the provincial Cabinet told Setopati that the party finally agreed to name the province Koshi. "The province will be named Koshi. We have agreed on that but the issue of provincial capital has yet to be agreed," the Cabinet member revealed.
The Cabinet members want Biratnagar to be selected as capital while other CPN lawmakers are divided. Some lawmakers want Itahari to be picked as the capital while a few are in favor of Dhankuta.
Chief Minister (CM) Sher Dhan Rai is trying to placate those supporting Dhankuta by assuring to keep a contact office of CM in Dhankuta.
The deadline for proposing the name of province and provincial capital in the provincial assembly, meanwhile, has been extended till May 5. The provincial government, however, is preparing to announce the name and capital before the deadline expires.
Some CPN leaders have opined that the central leadership of the party and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli should also be consulted due to lack of consensus within the party.
