Following an agreement between the two major leftist forces on power-sharing in the provinces, the Nepali Congress is set to exit the Lumbini provincial government.
Minister for Urban Development and Drinking Water Saroj Thapa (Roj Rana), who is participating in the Lumbini government from the NC, said that ministers from the party are preparing to resign from the government on Sunday.
“I have already consulted with parliamentary party leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary on this matter,” he said. “Since we joined the government under my leadership, we are preparing to submit our resignations today itself.”
Minister Thapa said that, as it has been agreed to submit resignations by evening, the NC will leave the Lumbini government and offer best wishes to the new government.
“We will withdraw the support given to the government by evening if possible, or if not, by tomorrow, and exit the government,” he said.
Along with Thapa, the ministers participating in the Lumbini government from the NC are Minister for Economic Affairs Dhanendra Karki, Minister for Industry, Tourism, and Transport Prachanda Bikram Neupane, Minister for Social Development Janmajaya Timilsena, and Minister for Forests and Environment Devkaran Kalwar.
On Saturday, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal reached an agreement to cooperate in the provincial governments.
According to the agreement, the UML will lead the governments in Lumbini, Bagmati and Koshi provinces, while the NCP will lead those in Karnali and Sudur Paschim.
In Madhesh and Gandaki provinces, governments will be formed after holding consultations with other political parties as well, the agreement states.
Currently, Chet Narayan Acharya of the UML is the chief minister in Lumbini. He was appointed to the post with the support of the NC on July 22, 2024, under Article 168(2) of the Constitution. At that time, he was supported by 56 provincial assembly members, including those from the NC and UML.
As per the earlier agreement between the NC and UML, the power equation in provinces including Lumbini should already have changed by March. However, the agreement could not be implemented after the KP Sharma Oli-led government at the center was ousted by the Gen Z movement on September 8 and 9 and the Rastriya Swatantra Party formed a new government after the elections on March 5.
The agreement was also sidelined as Gagan Thapa assumed leadership in the NC after a special general convention in January.
Efforts were made in the meantime to implement the previous agreement, but they failed to reach a conclusion. After that, the NC attempted to forge an agreement with the NCP.
When NCP Coordinator Dahal proposed cooperation among all three parties – including the UML – rather than just two parties in the provincial governments, the NC stepped back.
Previously, the Lumbini Provincial Assembly had 87 members. After some provincial assembly members resigned to contest the House of Representatives election held on March 5, the assembly currently has 83 members.
The UML is the largest party in the provincial assembly with 29 seats. The NC has 27 lawmakers, while the NCP has 13, including the speaker. Since the UML and NCP together have only 40 members, they need the support of other parties to reach the 42 votes required to form a government.
In Lumbini, there are three lawmakers from the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, four from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, three from the Janamat Party, two from the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, and one each from the Janata Samajwadi Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, and an independent lawmaker.
An independent lawmaker elected from Rolpa has already extended support to the NCP. Similarly, Khadga Bahadur Basnet of Nawalparasi (East), who comes from Maoist background, is also highly likely to support the NCP. In that case, the support of one additional lawmaker from the smaller parties would be sufficient to form a government.
In Sudur Paschim province, which is currently under NC leadership, there is still uncertainty about what to do next.
Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah said that they have adopted a “wait and see” policy.
“I am in Kathmandu. I am going to meet party President Gagan Thapa in a short while,” Shah said. “If there is a directive to move ahead as per the party’s decision, the Congress can withdraw the support given to the government within a day or two. Otherwise, it can adopt a wait-and-see policy.”
He also said that discussions could take place on adopting a wait-and-see policy because if a no-confidence motion is brought against him, there is a constitutional provision to face it through a confidence vote within one month.
“The Congress is not weaker than anyone in Sudur Paschim,” he said. “We will move ahead according to whatever directive the party gives.”
Shah said that since he has been saying from the beginning that he will proceed according to the Constitution, the NC will also take decisions accordingly.
Shah was appointed chief minister with the support of the UML on July 25, 2024. Earlier, he had become chief minister for the first time on February 9, 2023.
The Sudur Paschim Provincial Assembly initially had 53 members. It currently has 52 members as one seat is vacant. The seat became vacant after Tara Prasad Joshi, who had been elected to the provincial assembly as an independent candidate from Dadeldhura, was elected from the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the House of Representatives election on March 5.
In Sudur Paschim, 27 lawmakers are required to form a government.
The NCP is the largest party in the province. After seven lawmakers from the Nagarik Unmukti Party joined the NCP, the party has 22 provincial assembly members including the Speaker. However, Dirgha Sodari of the then CPN (Socialist) is suspended following a corruption case.
The second-largest party, NC, has 18 lawmakers and the UML has 11. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has one member. The NCP and UML combined can easily secure a majority. However, there is also speculation that some of the lawmakers who joined the NCP from the Nagarik Unmukti Party in the past are dissatisfied.
Just on Saturday, Karnali Chief Minister and UML leader Yamlal Kandel resigned from his post. His resignation came after NC and Maoist lawmakers registered a no-confidence motion. The process for forming a new government in Karnali has already been initiated.
