Bagmati Province Government Change Discussions Resume

Makwanpur. Discussions about the change of the Bagmati Province government have started again. The ruling parties, Nepali Congress and CPN UML, are engaged in a game of changing the government. The Nepali Congress is leading the Bagmati government, while the CPN UML is in the role of a coalition partner. UML is demanding leadership of the government according to the old agreement. A faction within the Congress, entangled in internal conflict, is preparing to change the leadership of the government.

Chief Minister of Bagmati, Indra Bahadur Baniyan, and Nepali Congress Co-General Secretary Bahadur Singh Lama are running their own factions within Congress. Lama, a former Chief Minister, is currently engaged in an campaign to remove Baniyan from the Chief Minister's post. The Lama faction has increased pressure for a government change with demands that the current government has not been able to work towards the citizens and that the budget needs to be balanced.

From August, there will be 8 ministries in the province, so there will be 8 ministers in the Bagmati government accordingly. Taking this situation as an opportunity, the coalition partner UML and Lama faction of Congress have increased efforts to change the government leadership.

The Bagmati government had already decided in April to reduce the current 14 ministries to 8. According to that decision, the reduction of the number of ministries to 8 will be implemented from July 1.

From July 1, six ministries of the province will be merged, and in the province, along with the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers' Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Law and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, the Ministry of Water Supply, Energy and Irrigation, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forest and Environment, the Ministry of Health and Social Development, and the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Labor and Transport will be maintained.

Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniyan said that the Bagmati Province government will operate in a new form from July 1. He informed that the preparation to reduce the existing 14 ministries to 8 and to reshuffle the cabinet has reached the final stage.

Regarding the change of government leadership, Chief Minister Baniyan said that it will happen not only at the provincial level but also based on the party's consensus at the center.

Bagmati Province Assembly, UML Parliamentary Party leader Jagannath Thapaliya says that the form of the provincial government will change in the first week of August, and he claims his right to the Chief Minister's post. He stated that the leadership of the government will be decided after discussions at the top level of the party.

'Currently, no one has a majority in the Provincial Assembly. Therefore, the policy made by the center to balance all seven provinces will be final for us,' he said. 'The issue of Congress's participation and leadership in Bagmati will be decided according to the agreement between central leaders including CPN UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa.'

Chief Minister Baniyan stated that he has no information about the past agreement that the coalition partner UML has been claiming. He also claimed that there was no written or formal agreement regarding the change of government leadership.

He said that with the reduction in the number of ministries, some current ministers are likely to be replaced, and some new faces will come. He stated that discussions have started within the parties about which party will get how many ministries and whether old ministers will be repeated or not, but the final decision is yet to be made.

'In a democracy, it is natural for someone to claim to become the Chief Minister, but so far, my party leadership has not informed me about any agreement. Bringing out unagreed matters is not politically right,' said Chief Minister Baniyan.

He said that homework is being done to make the government efficient both administratively and politically from July 1, as the new financial year starts from that date. He stated that he is committed to making the provincial government beautiful and effective.

However, Bagmati Province Assembly, UML Parliamentary Party leader Jagannath Thapaliya says that the form of the provincial government will change in the first week of August, and he claims his right to the Chief Minister's post. He stated that the leadership of the government will be decided after discussions at the top level of the party.

Thapaliya said that the Congress has been leading the provincial government, and now naturally, UML will take the leadership. He stated that since the parliamentary party leader becomes the Chief Minister, he naturally claims the Chief Minister's post.