Minister of Lumbini Baij Nath Chaudhary has claimed that provincial assembly member Bimala Oli has been abducted as politics in the province take an ugly turn after Chief Minister (CM) Shankar Pokharel resigned to avoid no-confidence motion on Sunday.
Finance Minister Chaudhary claimed that Oli, who was elected on ticket of the then CPN formed after unification of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center), was abducted while she was coming to Butwal from Dang. "She was coming to attend the UML parliamentary party meeting. They have abducted her from the way. She has been taken away in another vehicle midway," Chaudhary, who is also spokesperson of the Lumbini government, accused. "We have asked the security agencies to search for her and rescue her."
Standing committee member of Maoist Center Barsha Man Pun has claimed with Setopati that Oli is with the party but Chaudhary contended that she is with UML and was abducted while coming to attend the UML parliamentary party meeting that decided to form majority government under Pokharel Sunday morning.
Chaudhary added that Oli's cell phone has been switched off. "The actual thing will be known once she arrives. We will safely rescue her talk with her. How to move forward will be decided only after that."
There are 87 seats in the provincial assembly of Lumbini. Ruling CPN-UML claims it has 41 lawmakers that is enough for majority in the assembly that is only 81-strong now after Maoist Center expelled two lawmakers who joined UML and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) expelled four lawmakers who joined the Pokharel Cabinet after the no-confidence motion was registered on April 19.
Oli is counted by ruling UML among the 41 lawmakers.
