Himal Press 
BUTWAL: The seven-party ruling coalition was scheduled to make a claim to government formation in Lumbini Province under the leadership of CPN-UML’s Lila Giri. However, Giri couldn’t make his claim to form the government in the province as CPN (Maoist Center) leaders expressed dissent over the decision.
Maoist Center’s standing committee member Jokh Bahadur Mahara, who is one of the aspirants for the post, reached Kathmandu on Monday for a discussion with party leaders. Mahara, who is a former personal secretary to Maoist Center Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, reportedly met Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in Kathmandu and reached a consensus to lead the province government on a rotating basis.
Earlier, the seven-party alliance had agreed to allow UML leader to lead the province for the full term.
“Central leaders of UML and Maoist Center have agreed that the two parties will lead the province government on a rotating basis,” said Maoist Center’s Lumbini Province Committee Chairperson Sudarshan Baral. “There is no written agreement though.”
Maoist Center leaders had been saying right after the November 20 election that the party should lead the province government.
Nepali Congress (NC), however, is closely monitoring the political developments in the province. NC’s Lumbini Province Committee President Amar Singh Pun said his party is open to all alternatives for government formation. “Since the Province Chief has invited parties to form a majority government, we are doing needful preparation as the second largest party in the province assembly,” he added.
Sources say Maoist Center leaders of Rolpa had expressed dissatisfaction with Baral for not making a strong lobby in favor of Mahara. But Mahara says it has nothing to do with the failure to make claim for government formation on Tuesday.
“We could not support Giri’s claim to government formation as we were busy in internal discussions. We have until Wednesday to make a claim for formation,” Baral said, adding, “UML’s Giri will become the chief minister in the first phase. There is no different opinion to this.”
Parties need support from 44 assembly members to form a government in the 87-member province assembly. The ruling coalition has the support of 53 members.
NC offers the post to Maoist Center
NC seems ready to form the government under the leadership of Maoist Center.
NC has hinted that it could support Maoist Center after the party gave a confidence vote to Prime Minister Dahal on Tuesday.
Given Mahara’s aspiration to become chief minister in the first phase and the changed political context at the center, some last-minute twists do not seem unlikely in Lumbini Province.
