CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has been trying to win over the ministers from the erstwhile CPN (Maoist Center) in his cabinet as the power struggle with other chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal simmers.
Dahal has been recently talking about cabinet reshuffle and claiming that he has been discussing the issue with PM Oli making the ministers with Maoist background feel insecure. Oli, on the other hand, has been mum about reshuffle.
Dahal again spoke about the impending reshuffle in a program in Pokhara last Friday.
Oli called the cabinet meeting on Sunday, a day ahead of regular schedule, not due to any emergency issue but to assure the ministers who may be fearful of getting a sack and said he does not intend to reshuffle it soon.
Dahal seems intent to remove Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa fearing the latter may have jumped to Oli's camp.
A source close to Thapa told Setopati that Oli has confided that Dahal has reached Baluwatar thrice to get Thapa a sack.
All is not well between the two chairmen since Dahal publicly reminded about the agreement to take turn with Oli as PM.
Ministers coming from the erstwhile CPN-UML have been publicly stating that Oli will serve the full five-year term but those with Maoist background are not speaking in support of Dahal.
Dahal has called Thapa, Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun, Forest Minister Shakti Basnet and others to his residence in Khumaltar and urged them to speak in his favor. Thapa has reached Khumaltar to talk with Dahal twice this week alone. But no minister from erstwhile Maoist Center has spoken about change at the helm of the government.
Thapa did not speak in Dahal's support even during the secretariat meeting when Oli and Dahal had a heated exchange about whether to rewrite the political document or not. Leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and Bam Dev Gautam backed Dahal and said the document should not be rewritten but Thapa, who was the only other member with Maoist background in the secretariat in absence of Narayan Kaji Shrestha, remained silent.
Other ministers with Maoist background are also not speaking in Dahal's support fearing that they may get in the bad books of Oli if the two chairmen were to bury the hatchet and reach an agreement.
It is still not clear whether the ministers with Maoist background are not just publicly speaking in favor of Dahal or have actually jumped to the Oli camp.
Oli has been worried by the recent alliance of Dahal and Nepal and is trying to strengthen his hold on the party. Winning over the ministers with Maoist background seems to be part of that strategy.
Baluwatar sources confide that Oli has been solely focused on the party in recent days. He has been participating only in very important government affairs and meeting CPN leaders of different levels at his residence.
