Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal is irked by refusal of Nepali Congress (NC) President to change the grand old party’s ministers in his Cabinet.
“PM has problems with finance and health ministers and wants to change them. But our president doesn’t even want to hear about their expulsion from the government,” an NC office-bearer confides with Setopati. “President has already rejected Dahal’s proposal to change ministers participating from Congress.”
CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Dahal has been so frustrated with Deuba’s refusal and recent developments that he even claimed that the coalition with NC had not benefited his party. Addressing the party’s central committee meeting on Monday Dahal counted his grievances with NC including the loss of the party’s candidate for National Assembly from Koshi due to cross-voting, and giving up the post of speaker and then chief minister in the province. “This shows we have to conclude that cooperation with Congress is not beneficial for us,” Dahal stated. “Congress has not made us PM now. It is about time for us to seriously think about cooperation with Congress.”
NC Vice-president and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka asked Dahal about his comments about NC the same evening. “I have to listen to a lot of criticism from friends below me. I’ve said so deeming that it’d be comforting if I were to talk loudly before that. There’s nothing specious,” an NC leader, who was present during Khadka’s briefing to the party, quoted Dahal as telling Khadka.
NC is a little suspicious about the Maoist intentions despite Dahal assuring Khadka. Deputy General Secretary Barsha Man Pun had first lashed out at NC demanding serious review of the party’s loss in National Assembly election in Koshi, and rethinking about the party’s relation with NC.
Provincial chairs and incharges of the party presenting their reports of the special transformation campaign with the people in the central committee meeting held on Sunday and Monday had also concluded that the party had not benefited from the coalition with NC.
Dahal wanted to reshuffle his Cabinet after marking one year of his term that started on December 25, 2022 but has been denied by Deuba. He expressed his frustration after CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman expressed displeasure over performance of Agriculture Minister Bedu Ram Bhusal and Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala from his party, and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendra Yadav over that of Education Minister Ashok Rai during the meeting of coalition on February 8.
“It is not necessary for me to remain in the government if you all feel that your ministers and the government are not doing anything but then stop me from moving. Let’s talk about the government,” a leader, who was present during that meeting, quoted Dahal as fuming after that, and pointed that Dahal was also taking a swipe at Deuba through that comment.
NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa has called Dahal’s comment in the party’s central committee meeting normal pointing that he had nothing more to gain from NC. “Coalition with NC in the next election has become almost impossible. He may, therefore, have thought about moving forward in a new manner,” Thapa told Setopati.
The issue of National Assembly chair has further complicated the relations between the two parties. NC has already projected former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who got elected from Koshi, as the next National Assembly chair after the term of National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timalsina ends on March 4.
But Maoist Center has also staked claim for the post. Slamming NC’s betrayal in the National Assembly election in Koshi the party has claimed for the post in capacity of the largest party in the Upper House. The party has also been arguing that it will not have any representative in the Constitutional Council after PM Dahal makes way for another coalition leader as per the agreement in the coalition to take turns as PM if NC were to get NC chair.
NC suspects that Maoist Center may seek help from CPN-UML for National Assembly chair if the relationship with NC were to deteriorate over the issue. Maoist and UML leaders have even initiated informal dialogue over the issue.
UML Vice-chairman Bishnu Paudel has acknowledged that the two parties have started sporadic talks after Maoists talked about giving candidacy for National Assembly chair but claimed that they have yet to talk about coalition. “They have yet to propose to us (about coalition),” Paudel has added.
Dahal even wanted the ruling coalition to give a few seats to UML during the National Assembly election but that did not materialize.
An NC leader has confided that the grand old party had grown suspicious about Dahal’s intentions at that time.
Dahal, who had become PM on December 25, 2022 forging an alliance with UML after Deuba refused to make him PM first, has one year remaining in his term as per the deal reached in the new coalition formed after yet again allying with NC before the election for president.
