Congress and CPN Form Coalition in Karnali After UML Alliance Dissolves

Surkhet. After the ruling coalition of CPN UML and Nepali Congress in Karnali Province broke down, Congress has moved forward with a partnership with the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN). Congress has made CPN a partner in power with an agreement to make Jiban Bahadur Shahi the Chief Minister.

On Thursday, MPs from CPN and Congress, along with former Chief Minister and Congress Parliamentary Party leader Jiban Bahadur Shahi, registered a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel.

There is no official statement on whether Chief Minister Kandel will resign or face the parliament. If no unforeseen event occurs, Congress Parliamentary Party leader Shahi will become the Chief Minister.

A minimum of 21 MPs are required to form a government in the 40-member provincial assembly. Nepali Congress has 15 MPs and CPN has 14 MPs. If these two parties unite, they will automatically have a majority.

Although Congress-CPN has proposed Shahi as the Chief Minister, other 'power sharing' issues remain unresolved. CPN Parliamentary Party leader Mangal Bahadur Shahi stated that discussions on 'power sharing' have not taken place.

He told Ratopati, 'Yesterday, the current Chief Minister failed, and a no-confidence motion was brought to remove him.' 'Other than that, no discussion has taken place.'

Congress Chief Whip Hikmat Bahadur Bist said that a no-confidence motion had to be registered in alliance with CPN because the Chief Minister did not resign.

'Our ministers resigned collectively yesterday. After resigning, the government fell into a minority,' he told Ratopati. 'We expected the Chief Minister to resign after falling into a minority, but his resignation did not come.'

He said that no concrete agreement has been reached with CPN regarding the distribution of portfolios.

• How will 'power sharing' happen?

Previously, as per the agreement between Congress-UML, UML received the Chief Minister post and 3 other ministries. Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel kept the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law for himself and appointed ministers from his party to the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development.

Additionally, Gamata BK was appointed as the State Minister for Physical Infrastructure for women's inclusion. Nepali Congress received 4 ministries. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning; Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment; Ministry of Social Development; and Ministry of Water Resources and Energy were allocated to Congress.

However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law has now been removed. In this situation, the Chief Minister and the Office of the Council of Ministers and 6 other ministries remain.

CPN claims that it should receive the 4 ministries previously held by Congress. However, Congress maintains a stance of dividing the ministries 3-3.

Leaders say that further discussions are needed between the two parties on this matter. 'Besides ministries, there are bodies like the Provincial Planning Commission and the Public Service Commission,' said a CPN MP. 'Sports has already been decided for them. Therefore, CPN's claim to 4 ministries remains.'

Meanwhile, with the formation of a ruling coalition between CPN and Congress, MPs from both parties have started lobbying for ministerial positions.