Khagraj Bhat Tipped as Fifth Chief Minister of Sudurpashchim Province

Dhangadhi. Khagraj Bhat, leader of the parliamentary party of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), has emerged as a contender for the fifth Chief Minister in the second term of the Sudurpashchim Province Assembly. However, a formal decision is yet to be made.

 The current Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah has been reduced to a minority after the CPN-UML withdrew its support to the government. According to the constitution, he is in a situation where he must seek a vote of confidence.

Looking at the current arithmetic of the Provincial Assembly, the possibility of Chief Minister Shah garnering a majority appears very weak. Therefore, the political center of the province has now shifted towards the formation of a new government.

Discussions about a new equation between the Congress, UML, and the Communist Party of Nepal have been ongoing for the past few days. The CPN has claimed leadership of the government, putting forward its parliamentary party leader Khagraj Bhat as the Chief Minister. According to sources, both the Congress and UML parties appear positive about accepting Khagraj Bhat's leadership. However, a final agreement on power sharing, ministry allocation, and common agenda is yet to be reached.

CPN Provincial Assembly member Akkal Rawal has also indicated that a change in government is not far off. According to him, although Chief Minister Shah has some time to seek a vote of confidence constitutionally, if the parties reach an agreement, power transfer could happen even before that. He stated that negotiations are underway at the provincial level for government formation, and the final decision will depend on the central agreement.

The CPN is preparing to put forward Khagraj Bhat as the Chief Minister.

Ranjita Chaudhary, chairperson of the former Nagarik Unmukti Party and currently the co-in-charge of the CPN in Sudurpashchim, stated that the Sudurpashchim Province government will be formed under the leadership of the CPN, but the decision on which party, Congress or UML, to form an alliance with will be made by coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' by this evening.

If no other developments occur, Bhat will become the fifth Chief Minister in the second term of the Provincial Assembly. The continuous change in government has also affected the functioning of the provincial government. Budget implementation has been affected. New plans have not been able to move forward. The bureaucracy is in a state of uncertainty, and many development construction programs are stalled awaiting political decisions.

All eyes are now on the process of Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah seeking a vote of confidence. If he fails to secure a majority or resigns before that, the process of forming a new government in the province will begin.

The Sudurpashchim Province had a stable government in its first term. After the 2074 elections, Trilochan Bhatta, the parliamentary party leader of the then CPN (Maoist Centre), remained Chief Minister for five years. Although the government changed frequently at the center, the Sudurpashchim government remained stable.

However, political instability in the province has been increasing since the beginning of the second term.

On Poush 27, 2079, Rajendra Singh Rawal, parliamentary party leader of the CPN-UML, became the first Chief Minister. He formed the government with the support of the then Maoist Centre, Nagarik Unmukti Party, and RPP, but he could not get a vote of confidence. He was removed from office within a month after the Nagarik Unmukti Party did not support him.

After that, on Magh 26, 2079, Kamal Bahadur Shah, leader of the parliamentary party of the Nepali Congress, became Chief Minister for the first time. His government, formed with the support of the then Maoist Centre, Nagarik Unmukti Party, CPN (Unified Socialist), and an independent MP, led for about a year. However, he had to resign in Chaitra 2080 after the alliance changed at the center.

In his place, in Baisakh 2081, Dirgha Bahadur Sodari of the then CPN Unified Socialist became Chief Minister, but his term also did not last long. He resigned after losing a vote of confidence. He has also been suspended from his Provincial Assembly membership after corruption cases were filed against him.

After Sodari, Kamal Bahadur Shah became Chief Minister for the second time in Sawan 2081 with the support of the UML. Shah, who had the opportunity to lead the government twice in his second term, has now become the longest-serving Chief Minister in the second Provincial Assembly. However, his second term is also nearing its end after the UML withdrew its support.

The main reason for the crisis in Kamal Shah's led government was the budget for the fiscal year 2083/084. Expressing dissatisfaction with some aspects of the budget, the UML left the government and withdrew its support. Subsequently, the government fell into a minority. Although the opposition parties urged the Chief Minister to pave the way, Shah has maintained his stance of seeking a vote of confidence according to the constitution.

However, looking at the arithmetic of the Provincial Assembly, the possibility of a majority in his favor appears slim. Unless there is a major political change at the last moment, Kamal Shah's exit is almost certain.