Congress Leader Claims Leadership of Koshi Province Government

Biratnagar. At the two-day consultative workshop of the Congress Koshi Province held in Laukahi, Sunsari on Friday, Vice-President Bishwaprakash Sharma said that the Nepali Congress will now lead the Koshi Province government.< /p>

Sharma made such a claim amidst preparations to change the leadership of the provincial government as per the agreement reached between the UML and Congress earlier. He said, 'I don't want to say much about this now, but everyone should understand that the Congress will now lead Koshi Province.'< /p>

Currently, the Nepali Congress is participating in the Koshi Province government with four ministries. The UML is leading the government. As no party has a clear majority in any province, coalition governments have been operating based on agreements for rotational leadership among parties. Congress had given the responsibility to Vice-President Sharma to discuss the change of leadership of the provincial government. In that process, he has reportedly held dialogues with UML Chairman KP Oli multiple times. However, UML Chairman Oli is adamant that the Chief Minister should be from his own party.< /p>

On the other hand, within its own party, Congress has not been able to agree on who to make the leader of the Koshi Province parliamentary party and the future Chief Minister, despite claiming the Chief Minister's post from UML.< /p>

It is claimed that Chairman Thapa was in favor of making provincial MP Amrit Aryal, who joined Gagan Thapa's group on the occasion of the special general convention, the party leader. However, sources claim that Vice-President Bishwaprakash Sharma has brought the current party leader Uddhav Thapa into his group and proposed him for Chief Minister. 'As per the agreement, the leadership should be rotational. Now, Uddhav Thapaji from Congress will lead the government in Koshi,' Sharma proposed to UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, 'Let's proceed with the rotational system, Chairman.'< /p>

It is said that Bishwaprakash's main objective in making this proposal is to strengthen his group in Jhapa Congress and weaken leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula. Another faction says that party leader Thapa has also been acting according to Bishwaprakash's plan recently. Earlier, Thapa was considered 'right-hand man' of leader Krishna Sitaula.< /p>

However, the Gagan faction MPs are angry because Thapa, driven by the greed for the Chief Minister's post, has suddenly come to the establishment side and wants to become the party leader. Earlier, provincial MP and Udaipur Congress President Himal Karki had said that Amrit Aryal would be the party leader. Now, he does not have a clear stance on this issue. 'Let's not talk about this now, we'll talk later,' he says. However, he has been telling his close associates, 'If they wanted to change the party leader, now that agenda has fallen into the hands of another group after coming into our group.'< /p>

In the special general convention, on the occasion of the special general convention, provincial MP Amrit Aryal, who joined Gagan Thapa's group, had strongly criticized Uddhav Thapa, saying that he felt inferior when he stayed in a controversial and uncommitted group. At that time, Koirala also regretted making a big mistake by making Uddhav win the chairmanship and giving him the opportunity to win the party leadership.< /p>

'I have done a lot in my political life. I became the chairman of Morang twice. I became a central member twice and an honorable member twice. I am feeling regret now,' Koirala said, 'I made a mistake by defeating Guru Ghimire and helping Uddhavji win the provincial party chairmanship.'< /p>

At that time, Aryal had supported Uddhav Thapa to defeat Guru Ghimire in the first Koshi Province convention of Congress.< /p>

Aryal used to say that he could not even speak in the parliament despite being a provincial MP. 'We proposed party leader Uddhavji, saying that he should either stand for ethnic identity or stand for Koshi. But later we voted for the decision made by UML. I also felt inferior staying in such a controversial, uncommitted group.'< /p>

However, it has become Aryal's responsibility to accept Uddhav Thapa, whom he is criticizing as a leader of a controversial and uncommitted group, as the party leader. In the Koshi Province Parliamentary Party meeting held in Biratnagar three days ago, MP Aryal had expressed serious disagreement regarding the political appointments being made by the provincial government. 'From where and on whose recommendation are political appointments being made?' one MP quoted him as asking the party leader.< /p>

On Tuesday, the provincial government appointed Rupa Thapa Ojha from Congress to the two vacant member positions in the Koshi Province Public Service Commission. Sources claim that the appointment was made on the recommendation of Congress General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire. However, party leader Uddhav Thapa had recommended the name of a person from Jhapa. Dissatisfaction arose after the provincial government appointed the person recommended by General Secretary Ghimire in the party meeting. Aryal has been telling his close associates that although they took the risk to come for the special general convention, Thapa is trying to hijack the post of party leader.< /p>

Sources claim that leaders from the Gagan faction are in favor of removing Uddhav Thapa from the post of party leader. Although Himal Karki, Binod Wantwa, and Amrit Aryal are trying to remove Thapa from the leadership, the source claims that they are stopped due to not having the required number to file a no-confidence motion.< /p>

'They are coming and telling us that you should register it,' said a leader from the other faction, 'We are seeking clarity from Uddhav Thapa. We will act only after the leaders clarify whether he has joined the Gagan faction or not.'< /p>

The Congress Parliamentary Party has 29 members. Sources claim that the number of MPs from Dr. Shekhar Koirala and former President Sher Bahadur Deuba factions is two-thirds. However, the other faction is not in favor of removing Thapa at the moment. 'We are not going to remove him now. First of all, the leaders have not told us to interfere in the parliamentary front as well,' said a leader.< /p>