Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has kept two ministries with himself after Tuesday’s Cabinet expansion reportedly for Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP).
The Cabinet has now become 23-strong after the expansion and Dahal can induct only two more ministers as per the Constitution that has limited the strength of federal Cabinet to 25.
JSP and Nagarik Unmukti Party, that are in the ruling coalition, have yet to join the government like the three independent lawmakers who had supported to make Dahal PM.
A Baluwatar source confided with Setopati that Dahal kept the two ministries for JSP to ensure that the doors for dialogue with the party are not closed down. “Dahal seems confident that JSP will join the government after a few days if not now,” the source added.
Dahal’s confidence prevails despite JSP Chairman complaining that he was not heard during the coalition’s meeting on Monday pointing that the coalition partners seemed to imply that JSP would get only what they would give. “We could not even present our position. Our opinions were neither heard while preparing the common minimum program nor were we consulted for the Cabinet expansion,” Yadav told Setopati.
Yadav reportedly has been lobbying for the post of vice-president for the party. He apparently wants to make Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, who was elected from Bara-2, vice-president and contest the by-election from that constituency.
