Sudurpaschim Government Faces Instability Amidst Internal Congress Conflict

Dhangadhi. With the deadline for presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2083/084) approaching, the Sudurpaschim Provincial Government is preoccupied with efforts to retain power.

The government's stability was shaken on Tuesday when nine lawmakers from its own party, the Nepali Congress, filed a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister, sparking rumors of a government change in Sudurpaschim. However, Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah managed to secure the support of one of the lawmakers who had filed the motion, Dammari Mahara, at the last moment, temporarily averting the crisis surrounding the government's future.

Despite this, Chief Minister Shah remains engaged in continuous discussions, asserting that the crisis regarding the government's future has not been resolved. Some central leaders of the Congress party have also arrived in Dhangadhi to mediate internal disputes.

Lawmaker Diwansingh Bisht, who is disgruntled with the Chief Minister, has strongly criticized the government's working style. He stated, 'Our dissatisfaction is not recent; it has been ongoing since the first budget. The discrimination shown by the government in budget distribution and provincial development is unacceptable.'

Sources indicate that preparations are underway to appoint disgruntled lawmakers, including Diwansingh Bisht, as ministers. However, Lawmaker Bisht maintains that they did not take this step for ministerial positions.

'One of the nine lawmakers who signed the no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister, who is also the parliamentary party leader of the Congress, Dammari Mahara, has switched sides. Nevertheless, the parliamentary party does not have a clear majority with the party leader. The government is not secure without ten members,' he said.

He asserted that they had been advocating for a change in this style from the beginning and clarified that they were compelled to move towards a no-confidence motion due to the prolonged lack of response.

According to Bisht, if the Chief Minister does not rectify his working style, this dispute will now be resolved through parliamentary procedures.

Meanwhile, Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party, Bikramsingh Dhami, is actively shuttling between the Chief Minister's office and the lawmakers' residences to resolve the dispute. Dhami, met at the Chief Minister's office complex, admitted that the party is clearly divided into two factions, one with eight members and the other with nine.

'Regarding those currently being discussed for ministerial positions, it would be better to ask the Chief Minister rather than me. Efforts are being made to resolve the party's internal issues,' he said.

According to Dhami, central party leaders, including Joint General Secretary Udayshumsher Rana and Central Member Rajan KC, are currently in Dhangadhi to resolve the dispute. 'As a responsible party worker, I am focused on uniting everyone rather than favoring one faction,' he stated.

Central leaders of the Congress have been holding separate discussions with the disgruntled faction and the Chief Minister since Thursday morning.

Sources suggest that the Chief Minister has promised ministerial positions to some of the lawmakers who brought the no-confidence motion to save his chair. However, this also presents a significant challenge. The Chief Minister fears that inducting new ministers by removing the current ones could lead to another rebellion.

The Sudurpaschim currently has a coalition government of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. However, the government is being destabilized by internal conflicts within the Congress. On one hand, the UML and Maoist Center have their own strategies, and on the other hand, there is a game within the Congress to change the Chief Minister.

Lawmaker Dammari Mahara, who signed the no-confidence motion and later sided with the Chief Minister, has been accused of being swayed by financial inducements. Mahara, however, denies the truthfulness of these allegations, stating that she withdrew her support for the sake of party unity.

While leaders are engrossed in power struggles, the general public is experiencing disappointment. 'The provincial government's term has only a year and a half left. Development work should be happening during this time, and discussions should be about how to present a good new budget, but here, there is only a tug-of-war for chairs,' said Maniram Joshi, a local from Dhangadhi.

He believes that provincial development is impossible when leaders are preoccupied with bargaining over how to become ministers and how to retain power, rather than addressing the public's problems. Due to such activities, some have even started advocating for the abolition of the provincial structure.

The Sudurpaschim currently has a coalition government of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. However, the government is being destabilized by internal conflicts within the Congress. On one hand, the UML and Maoist Center have their own strategies, and on the other hand, there is a game within the Congress to change the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister claims he will present a budget that includes everyone. Despite this, the other faction within the Congress that brought the no-confidence motion has not yet budged. In the remaining year and a half of the term, political parties are busy vying for the positions of Chief Minister and ministers.