Cabinet expansion soon, 18 ministers to be appointed from four parties

KATHMANDU, September 29: The government is currently making its final preparations to expand the Cabinet. 

The government is likely to appoint 18 ministers from four ruling alliance parties - Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP).

From the Ram Chandra Poudel and Krishna Prasad Situala-led faction of Nepali Congress, Sujuta Koirala, Mihendra Rijal, Dilendra Badu, Tejulal Chaudhary and Rajan KC have been recommended for the posts of ministers. Of these five aspirants for ministers, only two are likely to be picked.

PM Deuba has already appointed Bal Krishna Khand as Home Minister, Gyanendra Karki as Law Minister, Umesh Shrestha as Minister of State for Health and Population and Dr Narayan Khadka as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. All of these ministers are considered close to PM Deuba.

Nepali Congress now has three seats remaining for ministers.

Likewise, a standing committee of CPN (Maoist Center) has been scheduled for today which is likely to pick ministers. Janardhan Sharma and Pampha Bhusal have already been appointed Finance and Energy Ministers respectively from the party. With this, the party now has to pick four more ministers. The aspirants for the ministers from the party are Hari Bol Gajurel, Devendra Poudel, Suresh Kumar Rai, Sudan Kirati, Jaypuri Garti, Anjana Bishanke and Sashi Shrestha.

Similarly, the CPN (Unified Socialist) has been given responsibility to pick six ministers. Birod Khatiwada, Metmani Chaudhary, Sher Bahadur Kuwar, Ram Kumari Jankri, Bhawani Khapung, Kisan Shrestha, Prem Ale and Jeevan Ram Shrestha are aspirants for minister in the party.

And in JSP, Rajendra Shrestha, Mahendra Ray Yadav, Mrigendra Singh, Pramod Shah and Renu Yadav are likely to be picked as ministers.