Tussle on between coalition leaders to become chief minister of Bagmati
Kathmandu, January 5
The politics of Bagmati Province has heated up after Governor Yadav Chandra Sharma asked parties for the formation of the government today. The provincial chief has called upon the parties to submit their claims within five days for formation of the government.
Bagmati Province Chief's Office has called upon the parties to form the government in the province within the next five days. Province Chief Yadav Chandra Sharma has asked the parties to appoint the chief minister by 4:00pm on January 9.
Prakash Chapagain, spokesman for the Province Chief's Office, said any member of the Provincial Assembly who could garner majority with the support of two or more parties represented in the Provincial Assembly, would be called for appointment as chief minister of Bagmati Province, according to Article 168 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal. According to Clause (1) of Article 168 of the Constitution of Nepal, when no single party has a clear majority to stake claim to the post of chief minister, the province chief can call for the formation of a government according to clause (2). In the 110-seat Bagmati Provincial Assembly, the Nepali Congress has 37 members, UML 27, Maoist Centre 21, RPP 13, Unified Socialist seven, Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party three and Hamro Nepali Party has two seats.
To form a government in Bagmati Province, any party requires the support of 56 Province Assembly members out of a total of 110. As of now, formation of the provincial government is still unclear.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party backed by 61 votes of coalition partners could stake claim for the post of chief minister. However, the Nepali Congress - the largest party in the provincial government - could also secure a simple majority with the backing of the RPP and the Unified Socialists as they require only 19 votes to get majority.
But it also seems that the Maoist Centre, UML and RPP will easily get the general majority necessary for formation of the government in Bagmati Province. The coalition has 61 seats in the state assembly, which is enough to form the government.
However, there is a tussle between parties in the coalition to become chief minister.
CPN-UML party leader Jagannath Thapaliya, Shalikram Jamkattel from the Maoist Centre, and Uddhav Thapa from the RPP are strong contenders for chief ministership of Bagmati Province. At the central level, there is confusion as to who will lead the province government due to the lack of division between the coalition parties in power. There is a dispute among parties in the coalition over leadership of Bagmati Province government due to the issue of distribution of shares from the centre to the provinces.
The ruling coalition parties - CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist Centre and RPP - have not decided on leadership of the government and power sharing, so there is still confusion about who will lead the government.
In the absence of instructions from the centre regarding the leadership, ministries, speaker, deputy speaker and other constitutional appointments of Bagmati Province government, the coalition parties are confused about taking leadership.
The leaders of the alliance party say that the entire decision of the division is made by leaders at the central level, so no discussion has taken place at the provincial level.
Leaders of parliamentary parties of all the three parties - Jagannath Thapaliya of UML, Shalikram Jamkattel of Maoist Centre, and Uddhab Thapa of RPP - have staked their claims to the post of chief minister.
RPP's provincial member Uddhab Thapa said, "We will abolish the province by becoming chief minister. Federalism should be abolished in any case. We will abolish federalism while staying in the government. We are the decisive force in four of the seven provinces. If we do not agree, the government cannot be formed in accordance with the current equation," he added.
Thapa also said, "We have participated in the central government in a circumstantial manner. We must not forget how the central government was formed. If the parties in the alliance start saying that we are the only one central force, then there may not be agreement."
A version of this article appears in the print on January 6, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
