KATHMANDU: A top Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal leader today said that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had offered RJP-N Coordinator the post of vice-president.

The left alliance has been trying to woo the RJP-N to support its presidential candidate Bidhya Devi Bhandari, as well as to join the government.

A top RJP-N leader told THT that his party would decide on its participation in the government, issues related to constitution amendment and its support to presidential candidate Bhandari in a couple of days.

RJP-N leader Keshav Jha, however, said that the RJP-N would support Bhandari’s candidacy for the president.

He said a member of the RJP-N presidium, Sharat Singh Bhandari, was supposed to propose Bhandari’s name for the post of president, but he could not sign the document as “he didn’t reach the Parliament building on time”. He said RJP-N Coordinator Mahantha Thakur had telephoned Bhandari to be Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s proposer.

He said a deal was likely to be signed with the left alliance on the RJP-N’s participation in the government after its commitment to constitution amendment. “It is likely that the left alliance will agree to amend Article 274 of the constitution that will remove the requirement of the consent of majority of the provinces to revise provincial boundaries,” Jha said.

“Talks with the left alliance will focus on forming a federal commission to revise provincial boundaries.”

The Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal has already decided to join the KP Sharma Oli-led government. The FSF-N has also been trying to reach a deal with the left alliance on constitution amendment. It has also demanded that the requirement of the consent of majority of provinces for revising provincial boundaries should be done away with.

Revision of provincial boundaries is one of the key demands of the RJP-N and the FSF-N.

(UPDATED)

RJPN to back Bhandari in presidential election

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Janata Party Nepal on Friday has decided to support Bidya Devi Bhandari of left alliance in the presidential election scheduled for March 13.

A meeting of RJPN's presidium held in the Capital decided to vote for Bhandari in the presidential poll, RJP Nepal's General Secretary Keshav Jha said.

He also added that the talks between the left alliance and RJP for the latter's participation in the incumbent government were positive.

As the talks of the RJP Nepal with the leaders of CPN-UML and Maoist Centre are heading towards positive direction, the RJP is also backing Bhandari in presidential poll.

Incumbent President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Nepali Congress leader Laxmi Rai are vying for the post of President in the election.