Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has expedited discussions to create a new alliance against the UML-Maoist Center alliance.
An NC leader close to Deuba said the NC President is holding a series of talks to form the ‘Inclusive Democratic Alliance’ of NC, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), and Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP). Deuba met JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav, Janamat Chairman CK Raut, and LSP Chairman Mahantha Thakur, among other leaders, at his residence in Budhanilkantha on Wednesday.
RPP and Janamat have not joined the UML-Maoist Center alliance. Although JSP has signed an agreement to join the alliance, it hasn’t yet decided whether to send its ministers to Dahal’s cabinet. NUP has also decided that it won’t join the government immediately.
According to the NC leader, Deuba is trying to save his party’s governments in provinces. If JSP decides to join the UML-Maoist Center alliance, its government in Madhesh Province could fail. This is why JSP is undecided about joining Dahal’s government.
Deuba is prepared to go to the extent of giving the position of Chief Minister to NUP to save the government in Sudurpashchim.
The alliance that Deuba is trying to form, however, will not have the majority to form the government in the center.
NC has 88 seats in the House of Representatives, while RPP and JSP have 14 and 12 seats, respectively. Similarly, Janamat has six, and LSP and NUP have four seats each. This means the alliance will have 128 seats, which is not sufficient to form the government in the 275-member House of Representatives.
The UML-Maoist Center alliance has the support of 142 lawmakers. UML and Maoist Center have 79 and 32 seats, respectively, while Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has 21 and CPN (Unified Socialist) has 10 seats.
