Yet another surprise move by Bagmati CM Shakya; switches to UML’s ‘new camp’

KATHMANDU, Aug 20: Ashta Laxmi Shakya, who had remained in the Madhav Nepal camp in the CPN-UML and had long been objecting to moves of party Chairman KP Sharma Oli, took helm of the chief ministership of Bagmati Province on Wednesday, as a surprise move. 

Many raised questions on her recent move for ‘staking political morality for power and position.

However, just a day after her first ‘surprise’, she made yet another surprise move. As an apparent message that she is ‘no longer in the Oli camp’, she joined the leaders in the ‘new camp’ and issued a joint appeal on Thursday. It came as a huge surprise for Oli who got erstwhile Chief Minister Dormani Poudel to resign and ensured she took over the post. 

In their statement released late on Thursday, the nine leaders including Shakya demanded the establishment faction withdraw actions taken against 14 lawmakers of the party. 

The UML, on Wednesday, sacked 14 parliamentarians including Madhav Kumar Nepal and wrote to the Federal Parliament Secretariat to relieve them of their positions. 

Then senior leader of the party, Madhav Kumar Nepal, registered a new party named CPN-UML (Samajbadi), on Wednesday. In his petition submitted at the Election Commission (EC), names of 95 Central Committee members including 58 CC members of the UML. The list, however, did not include Shakya’s name. 

She used to be a vocal critic of Chairman Oli following the party’s Ninth General Convention. So, there were speculations that she might join new party of leader Nepal. However, she opted to lead the Bagmati government.