Political Uncertainty Looms Over Karnali Province Government Amidst Congress-UML Friction

Surkhet. The coalition between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML remains intact in Karnali. The government is led by the UML based on this Congress-UML alliance. However, dissatisfaction has recently begun to emerge within the coalition.

Following the central equation, the Nepali Congress joined the government led by UML parliamentary party leader Yamlal Kandel on 081 Shrawan 18, holding four ministries. There is no separate agreement regarding power-sharing in the province.

In the meantime, there have been many shifts in Nepal's politics, and former Prime Minister KP Oli was ousted following the Gen-Z uprising on Bhadra 23 and 24. After elections, the RSP has formed a government at the center, while older political parties have been relegated to the opposition.

However, the Congress-UML coalition government from that time remains in place in the province. If the central equation of that time is taken as a basis, Congress parliamentary party leader Jeevan Bahadur Shahi should have become the Chief Minister of Karnali within the month of Chaitra.

Nevertheless, Shahi is in no mood to rush. A source close to Shahi told Ratopati, 'There was no such agreement in the province, and the current situation in the country is not very favorable, so the state of affairs remains fluid.'

Sources close to Shahi state that there has been no formal discussion between the Congress and UML regarding power so far. When asked which government will bring the new budget, he added, 'Looking at the current situation, this (Kandel) government will bring it; our own party member is the Finance Minister, and there has been no discussion on changing the government.'

Congress parliamentary party leader Shahi, who is also a former Chief Minister, has recently been heard less frequently with the government. Before the Gen-Z uprising, even though his party was in power, Shahi used to sound aggressive against the government in parliament, much like an opposition party. He had even threatened to leave the government multiple times.

While he was suspended following the progress of the wide-body aircraft case, the Congress received responsibility for four ministries including Finance without his physical presence, while UML's Kandel continued as Chief Minister.

After nearly 10 months, Shahi returned to the province after being cleared of the charges. In the provincial assembly meeting held on 081 Magh 7, Shahi suddenly threatened to leave the government. Since then, not only have there been repeated threats to leave the government, but Congress lawmakers have even obstructed the parliament. This has frustrated Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel. The UML's conclusion is that the government has been unable to function due to the lack of cooperation from the Congress.

• Pressure to leave the government or take leadership

The conclusion of the Congress in Karnali is that the Kandel-led government has already failed, yet the Congress remains stuck in the government.

'It has become a double standard to say on one hand that the government has failed, and on the other hand, to remain a partner in the same government,' said a Congress lawmaker, 'The public has also started asking why the Congress is staying in power while taking the blame for the weaknesses of a failed government.'

According to him, this issue was discussed extensively in the previous parliamentary party meeting. In that meeting, most lawmakers said, 'Either we must take the leadership of the government, or we must stay out of the government.'

'In 081 Shrawan, the Congress gave support to the UML here; at that time, during all the power changes across the country, some did it in writing, some orally, and some might have had a 50-50 understanding,' said the lawmaker, 'Calculating that concept, from 081 Shrawan to 084 Bhadra, it reaches 38 months. If the provincial assembly election is held in Mangsir, the provincial assembly will become inactive after Bhadra. 50-50 of 38 months would be 19 months, but by the time we reach Chaitra now, the time the Congress has supported has already crossed 20 months.'

In his understanding, it seems as if the provincial and local level elections might be held in 084 Baisakh. Looking at this, the life of the provincial assembly is not even a year. 'If the situation arises for elections next Baisakh, nominations might have to be filed in Chaitra; calculating from Falgun, 10 months remain,' he said.

In this situation, the lawmaker says they have put the matter to party leader Shahi by saying, 'Either talk about leadership in time, or if the Congress sits in the opposition and moves forward, the path to go to the villages for the upcoming election will be open for the Congress.'

'We have raised in the party meeting that the activities of the government in the current status quo will make it difficult for us to go to the villages now,' he added.

Congress parliamentary party chief whip Hikmat Bista also said that the lawmakers have discussed changing the government and have entrusted the responsibility to the parliamentary party leader.

'We have already decided to discuss it with the coalition partner from our side,' he told Ratopati, 'Now discussions will continue between the leaders. We have to reach the central leaders. I feel the provincial party leader will coordinate with the central leaders.'

Bista mentioned that Congress parliamentary party leader Shahi has also gone to Kathmandu.

• What does the UML say?

UML parliamentary party chief whip Tekraj Pachhai said that the matter of changing or continuing the government will be discussed at the center.

'It is not enough to talk only here; it will happen according to what the party leadership above says,' he told Ratopati, 'It is time to bring the new budget, and there will likely be discussions between party leaders before the budget.'

He stated that there was no separate agreement in the province to do this. 'However, even if not at the federal level, the coalition remains intact in the province. Therefore, there will be discussions between the leaders, and the decision will be based on that,' he added.

• Neither Congress nor UML is interested in this coalition

The coalition between the Congress and UML does not seem to be liked by the lawmakers of both parties. Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel himself is frustrated, saying that despite being in the government, the Congress is showing a role like the opposition.

'If one tries to do some work, they create obstacles, and then they even say outside that the government did nothing,' said a UML lawmaker, 'How can the government work with such a double standard? They also have ministers; if the government fails, they will also be considered failures!'

The leader said that the Congress has a tendency to not let work be done and then put all the blame on the Chief Minister's head.

There is talk that both Congress and UML could take the opposition Nepali Communist Party along if needed. 'Some sections of the NCP and UML have debated that a communist government should be formed,' says a UML source, 'The Congress did not let the Chief Minister work at all.'

On the other hand, the Congress also feels that if it takes the leadership of the government, the UML might seek revenge, so it would be more appropriate to form a coalition with the NCP. Previously, there were discussions between NCP leader Mahendra Bahadur Shahi and Congress party leader Jeevan Bahadur Shahi. But leaders of both parties say that since this matter will be decided from the center, the discussions in the province have no meaning.

Here, the Congress has 15, the NCP has 13, and the UML has 10 lawmakers. In the 40-member provincial assembly, 20 seats are required to form a government.

• NCP says - Congress's double standard, Chief Minister is helpless

Opposition party Nepali Communist Party parliamentary party leader Mangal Shahi said that there has been no discussion about whether to join the government or not.

'Such things happen from the center; there has been no initiative from above,' he said, 'If the party center gives some signal, we will act here, but that environment has not been created yet.'

However, Shahi said that the opposition's conclusion is that the government has already failed due to the double standard of the ruling party Congress and the helplessness of the Chief Minister.

'On one hand, they are criticizing the Chief Minister, and on the other, they are sitting in the same government,' he added, 'Does this happen? The Congress should either let the Chief Minister work, or Kandel should be able to say we could not work and we are coming out. Otherwise, they should let the Chief Minister work.'

He also said that the opposition's understanding is that the government failed because the Congress did not let the Chief Minister work. 'Chief Minister Kandel should also be able to come out saying, I failed because of the Congress, all the blame came on my head, and now I cannot work with the Congress,' he said.