Nagarik Unmukti Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha.
DHANGADHI: The Chief Minister of Sudurpashchim province, Kamal Bahadur Shah, is facing difficulties in expanding his cabinet due to disagreements among coalition partners over power-sharing. Not only cabinet expansion, the formation of thematic committees in the provincial assembly has also been delayed. As consensus eludes coalition partners, the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) has decided not to join the government.
“Since power-sharing in the provincial government was not in accordance with the understanding reached at the center, NUP hereby informs that it won’t join the provincial government,” reads a letter sent by NUP President Ranjita Shrestha,
The NUP’s decision came as a setback to Chief Minister Shah who was preparing to expand his cabinet.
The NUP had recommended Rameshwar Chaudhary as the Minister for Land Reforms, Agriculture, and Cooperatives, and Kailash Chaudhary as the Minister of State. However, NUP leaders were dissatisfied with the recommendations and expressed their disappointment on social media.
The Ministries of Land Reforms, Agriculture, and Cooperatives has been without a leader for the past seven months. Similarly, the passing of Prithvi Bahadur Singh in a road accident has left the interior affairs ministry vacant.
NUP, which has seven seats in the provincial assembly, had initially demanded two cabinet ministers, one minister of state, the chairmanship of one thematic committee, and the Deputy Speaker position. Later, the party softened its stance and agreed to join the government if it was given one minister and one minister of state, recommending Rameshwar Chaudhary and Kailash Chaudhary for the positions.
However, the NUP has now set a new condition to join the government, demanding two ministries and one minister of state.
Earlier, the NUP’s support was crucial for both the Maoist-UML coalition and the Nepali Congress to form a government in the province. The Maoist-UML coalition had offered three ministries and chairmanship of two thematic committees to the NUP, also agreeing to “manage” one more provincial assembly member. Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress went further, offering the post of chief minister, three ministries, and chairmanship of two thematic committees.
However, the party remained adamant on its demand of not joining the government until its founder chairman, Resham Chaudhary, who is serving a prison term after being convicted in the Tikapur incident, was released. Due to this stance, the UML-led government failed to receive a vote of confidence. A new government was subsequently formed under Kamal Bahadur Shah of the Nepali Congress with the support of the NUP.
While there was a time when the NUP held the role of kingmaker in the provincial assembly, the government can now be formed even without the party’s support.
NUP assembly members have also realized that the party’s status has weakened. One NUP assembly member mentioned, “Chief Minister Shah, who was earlier prepared to allocate ministries of choice to NUP, is now reluctant to swear in our assembly members even into the vacant ministerial positions.”
