Janamat Party led by CK Raut has said that the party will join the Pushpa Kamal Dahal government after the budget for the next fiscal year is presented next Monday.
Senior Vice-chairman and lawmaker of Janamat Party Abdul Khan has told Setopati that preparations are on to join the government after presentation of the budget.
Prime Minister (PM) Dahal has assured to give agriculture, industry or urban development ministry to the party, according to a source.
Birendra Prasad Mahato of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) was appointed minister for forests and environment, and Pramila Kumari Yadav of JSP minister of state for education, science and technology on Tuesday to complete the Dahal Cabinet.
The Constitution prohibits expanding the federal Cabinet beyond 25, and current ministers will have to be dismissed to induct new ministers from Janamat Party. “PM has said that he will arrange things by either removing a minister from his own party or coordinating with coalition partner Nepali Congress,” the source added.
The party had quit the government on March 31 before PM Dahal expanded the Cabinet. Minister for Water Supply Abdul Khan had resigned from his post the same day as per the party’s decision.
Janamat Party had staked claims for the Ministry of Industry. Khan resigned after Janamat Party did not get the ministry in the sharing of ministries among ruling coalition partners. But the party has been supporting the Dahal government despite quitting the government.
The party has six House of Representatives (HoR) members.
It had fielded a separate candidate in the vice-presidential election against the common coalition candidate from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav despite being in the ruling coalition.
It had also fielded Shiva Chandra Kushwaha against common coalition candidate Upendra Yadav of JSP in the by-election held in Bara-2 that became vacant after Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav was elected the vice-president
