Kathmandu January 27

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal today directed the left alliance task force to finalise its given task as soon as possible.

Oli and Dahal will meet tomorrow  to finalise division of posts including provincial chief ministers, Province Assembly speakers, deputy speakers and ministers.

A CPN-MC leader said Dahal would discuss party unification with Oli tomorrow and call a Party Unification Coordination Committee meeting.

UML leader Subas Chandra Nembang and CPN-MC leader Ram Bahadur Thapa briefed  Oli and Dahal yesterday on the progress of the task force. The task force is working on sharing provincial posts on the basis of Oli and Dahal’s guideline. The alliance has majority to form the government in six provinces, except Province 2.

The CPN-MC has proposed the post of  four chief ministers for the UML and sought two chief ministerial berths.

“We have proposed that the chief minister and speaker should not be from the same party in the provinces,” CPN-MC leader Matrika Yadav, a member of the left alliance task force said.

If the UML agrees, the party will contest for chief minister  in Provinces 1,3, 4 and 5; and CPN-MC  in Provinces 6 and 7, a  source said.

UML leaders Sherdhan Rai and Bhim Acharya have both claimed chief minister’s post in Province 1.  UML and CPN-MC have 66 PA members in this province where the total number of seats is  93.

UML Vice-chair Astha Laxmi Shakya Bohora might contest for CM in Province 3. UML leader Rajendra Pandey has also claimed the post. UML has won 58 and CPN-MC has 23 seats in this province where the total number of PA members is 110.

UML leaders Prithivi Subba Gurung and Kiran Gurung  have claimed the CM post  in Province 4. UML has won 27  seats out of 60 PA seats in this province

UML leader Shankar Pokharel is projected as the  common CM candidate of the left alliance from  Province 5. UML won 41  seats out of 87 in this province.

CPN-MC leader Mahendra Bahadur Shahi has claimed the CM post in Province 6 where UML won 20 seats out of 40.

CPN-MC leader  Birman Chaudhari has staked claim for the post of CM of Province 7   where UML won 25 seats and MC won 14 out of 53 seats in  the PA.

In Province 2, Madhes-based parties — Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal are in a position to form coalition government. FSF-N  has won 29 and RJP-N has won 25 seats, while UML and the MC  have won 21 and 11 seats respectively. The NC has 19 seats. There are  107 members in the Provincial Assembly.

According to FSF-N leader Rajendra Shrestha, FSF-N will field its candidacy for the CM’s post and RJP-N for deputy CM. The left alliance will stay in opposition.

The governors of Province 1 and 6 have not yet called the PA meeting due to lack of preparation.