CPN (Unified Socialist) has expressed displeasure after the ruling coalition refused to allot three seats to the party in the upcoming National Assembly election.
The meeting of ruling coalition at Baluwatar Sunday morning decided to field 10 Nepali Congress (NC) candidates, six from CPN (Maoist Center), two from Unified Socialist and one from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), according to NC leader Ramesh Lekhak.
Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal left the meeting after NC and Maoist Center refused to give three seats to the party formed after splitting from CPN-UML.
Chairman Nepal asked General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal whether the party should quit the ruling coalition over the issue. Bhusal answered that the party should not go below three seats.
“We are political animals. We can politically fight election,” a source quoted Bhusal as telling Nepal.
But other coalition parties believe that Unified Socialist will agree for two seats after holding secretariat meeting.
The coalition has also decided to nominate Rastriya Janamorcha Vice-chairman Durga Paudel to the National Assembly through the president.
The parties have started internal consultation to pick candidates after agreeing sharing of seats.
Election will be held on January 25 for 19 National Assembly seats that will be vacant from March 4, 2024.
The term of Bimala Rai Paudel, who was nominated by the then president on recommendation of the then KP Sharma Oli government, is also set to expire on March 4.
Nine of the 20 members whose term is set to expire in March are from UML including Bimala Rai Paudel nominated by the president. The National Assembly members whose term is set to expire also includes four from NC, three from CPN (Maoist Center), two from CPN (Unified Socialist), one from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and independent lawmaker Khim Lal Devkota.
