Left alliance leaders lobby for chief minister of Province 6

Surkhet, December 18

Following the impressive victory in the recent parliamentary and provincial elections, leaders of left alliance constituents — CPN-UML and CPN-MC— have started lobbying for the post of chief minister in Province 6.

UML had won 14 out of 24 first-past-the-post seats from the province, while CPN-MC had bagged nine seats, leaving only one seat for the Nepali Congress.

Under the proportional category, UML, NC and CPN-MC have secured 6, 5 and 4 seats respectively.  Both under the FPTP and PR systems, UML alone has garnered 20 of 40 berths, while CPN-MC claimed 13 and NC, 6 berths.

UML leaders in the province have started lobbying for chief minister after CPN-MC leaders laid their claim for the post here citing the central-level agreement.

Yamlal Kandel and Prakash Jwala are prospective chief ministerial candidates from the UML. Also a party politburo member, Kandel clinched victory from Surkhet-2 ‘ka’, whereas Jwala made it from Salyan ‘kha’. CPN-MC’s Mahendra Bahadur Shahi and Naresh Bhandari are also other claimants of the post. Shahi and Bhandari were elected from Kalikot and Jumla.

“Albeit not in writing, there had been a tacit agreement between the alliance partners to leave the chief ministerial post to the CPN-MC in Province 6. My decision to contest in the provincial assembly was based on the same agreement,” said Shahi. “As Province 6 is also a stronghold of the CPN-MC, our claim to the post of chief minister is natural,” he said, adding the issue will, however, be settled only after the discussion between alliance partners.

UML leaders, however, have refused to buy CPN-MC leaders’ claim that there had been an agreement between alliance partners to leave the chief ministerial post to CPN-MC in Province-6. “As we are the largest party in the province, it’s natural for us to claim the post,” said UML leader Kandel, who is seen as a prospective chief ministerial candidate from UML. He also said the process of forming provincial government will start once the final results of the elections are published by the Election Commission.