LUMBINI: The aftershocks of the change in power dynamics in the center have been felt in the provinces as well.
Leaders of the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) have begun talks to form a new alliance in Lumbini Province after the two parties formed a new alliance at the center on Monday.
Chief Minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, who is from the Nepali Congress, is leading a coalition government with the support of CPN (Maoist Center), Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal, and CPN (Unified Socialist). Only the UML and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) are in the opposition so far.
“The impact of the change in power dynamics in the center can be felt on the provinces as well,” Santosh Pandey, Minister for Home, Lumbini Province Government, said. “However, we needn’t hurry with government formation as the power dynamics at the center will decide everything.”
Pandey represents Loktantrik Samabadi Party (LSP) in the coalition government.
The formation of a new alliance at the center has put the 4th International Buddhist Conference in uncertainty. A two-day summit has been planned for March 11 and 12. However, Minister Pandey said the provincial government won’t postpone the conference which is expected to see the participation of Nobel laureates. A cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday is expected to make some concrete decisions regarding the conference, a provincial minister said.
CPN-UML is the largest party in the Lumbini Province Assembly with 29 members, while the CPN (Maoist Center) has 11 and JSP has three. These three parties have 43 members – one short of the magic number of 44 required to form the government in the 87-member Lumbini Province Assembly.
Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, and Nagarik Unmukti each have three members. Since these three parties are also expected to join the alliance at the center, the ruling alliance won’t have any difficulty in forming a new government in Lumbini.
Nepali Congress has 27 members.
Who will be the next Chief Minister?
Although UML and Maoist Center have begun initial discussions on the formation of a new government, leaders say power-sharing in the province will depend on the decisions taken at the center. “We are waiting for the center’s direction. But we will stake our claim to the position of Chief Minister,” Sudarshan Baral, chairperson of the Lumbini Provincial Committee of the Maoist Center, said.
If the Maoist Center gets the opportunity to lead the government, its parliamentary party leader Jokh Bahadur Mahara will become the next Chief Minister.
However, UML will also lay its stake in the position as the largest party in the provincial assembly. Since Lila Giri’s government fell in just a few months last year, UML feels it should get the opportunity to lead the government.
Bhoj Prasad Shrestha, vice chairperson of the Lumbini Provincial Committee of CPN-UML, said they were awaiting the center’s decision. “A new government could be formed within a week,” he added.
