KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 4

Amid reports that the CPN-Maoist Centre is in talks with CPN-UML to forge alliance, a senior leader of the party has claimed that such reports are misleading and the party is in favour of strengthening the current ruling alliance.

CPN-MC leader Dev Prasad Gurung today said his party had not thought of forging alliance with the CPN-UML. Talking to mediapersons after top party leaders' meeting here today, Gurung said as of today the party had not discussed government formation with any party.

'We read reports that our party spokesperson (Krishna Bahadur Mahara) said we were open to all parties for government formation, including the CPN-UML. I do not know in what context he made that remark. We are still with the current alliance and we want to strengthen this alliance by roping in other parties,' Gurung said.

Asked if his party would demand the prime ministership, Gurung said the party's leaders had been saying since 2008 that being the change agent, Maoists had a legitimate claim on the leadership of the government, but since the November 20 elections produced a hung parliament, everything would depend on consensus among alliance partners. Gurung said there was no disagreement regarding government formation in the ruling coalition.

In response to a journalist's query, Gurung said his party's leaders were of the view that they should first try to form a coalition government and be an alliance partner.

Gurung admitted that his party failed to win expected number of parliamentary seats.

'We have our own limitations and shortcomings and we need to correct them in the future,' he added.

The ruling coalition has decided to call its meetings tomorrow to review performance in the November 20 parliamentary and provincial elections.

A CPN-MC leader who attended the party meeting today said many leaders who spoke today opposed Mahara's remarks that he made yesterday about party being open to negotiations with the CPN-UML for forming the next government.

Party leaders said if the CPN-MC, which contested the election as a partner of the democratic-left alliance, sided with the UML to form the next government, it would be perceived as an opportunist.

The ruling coalition, however, has not yet agreed on who should be the next prime minister and that might become a bone of contention with many leaders expressing a desire to be the PM. There are competing claims for prime ministership not just within the ruling coalition, but also within the NC.

Though it is no secret that NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba wants to become the PM again, other NC leaders, including Shekhar Koirala, NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, and senior leader Ramchandra Paudel have also got prime ministerial ambition.

Within the alliance, CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has also said that he wants to become the PM again.

A version of this article appears in the print on December 4, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.