KESHAV P. KOIRALA

KATHMANDU: Senior-most Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar's party Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic has given a hard blow to beleaguered Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli with a decision to forsake the coalition government and vote in favour of the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister.

The deliberations on the no-confidence motion is scheduled to conclude in the Parliament tomorrow. The motion would be put to vote after the Prime Minister's  response.

With 15 lawmakers, the MJF-D is the fifth largest party in the 597-member Parliament. The party had three leaders -- DPM Gachhadar, Minister Ram Janam Chaudhary, State Minister Mohammad Mustak Alam --   in the Cabinet.

Earlier today, another coalition ally Rastriya Prajatantra Party had withdrawn support to the Oli-led government and decided to vote against Prime Minister Oli.

READ ALSO: RPP recalls ministers, decides to vote against PM Oli

In a statement issued this evening, MJF-D's General Secretary Bharatendu Mallick  said it was not appropriate for the party to remain in the government after one of the coalition partners -- CPN Maoist Centre -- withdrew support to it and moved a no-trust motion, and that three budget related bills were defeated in the Parliament yesterday.

The MJF-D further said it accepted the norms of the Parliamentary system, taking into consideration the fact that the Oli-led coalition government had been reduced to minority.

Gachhadar, the MJF-D's chairman, informed the Prime Minister about the party's decision to withdraw support to the government, recall the ministers and vote in favour of the no-confidence motion.

CPN Maoist Centre, a major partner in the Oli-led coalition, had first pulled out of the government and joined forces with the main opposition Nepali Congress to challenge the Prime Minister with no-trust vote.

READ ALSO: 

• House continues deliberation on no-confidence motion

• Madhav Nepal criticises govt, NC-Maoist alliance at House