KATHMANDU: The Cabinet was expanded for the third time today with the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF), the third largest partner in the democratic alliance, and the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), staying away from the oath-taking function.

The Tarai-based MJF and TMDP were satisfied with the ministerial allocation but they could not overcome intra-party differences before the swearing-in ceremony.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal administered the oath of office and secrecy to five cabinet ministers — four from the CPN-UML and one from the Nepali Congress (NC) — in the presence of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav at the President’s Office, Shital Niwas.

Six NC ministers, who had earlier taken the oath of office, were also allocated

ministerial berths.

Following the swearing-in ceremony at Shital Niwas, Nepal administered the oath of office and secrecy to six state ministers — three each from the UML and the NC — at the PM's office in Singha durbar.

The MJF, which bagged four ministries — Physical Planning and Works, Civil Aviation and Tourism, Agriculture and Cooperatives and Women, Children and Social Welfare — and four state ministers and one

assistant minister, stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony due to rift within the party over who should join the government.

MJF parliamentary party leader Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar is believed to have told the PM that he would submit the list of ministers after the party’s central committee meeting that was still going on. The PM told mediapersons that the Madhes-based parties were in the process of joining the government.

The TMDP also did not submit its list of ministers although it was offered three ministries — Education, Industry and a bifurcated Science, Technology and Environment Ministry. The TMDP wants the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry without the bifurcation.

The Sadbhavana Party (SP), another important ally in the democratic alliance, did not join the Cabinet, as it wanted two ministries.

The SP was offered Commerce and Supplies Ministry. The party has nine seats in the CA.

Bishnu Rijal, the PM's press advisor, said that the ministers from rest of the parties would be sworn in after they iron out intra-party differences.