Himal Press 
ITAHARI: Nepali Congress (NC), in its bid to change the government in Koshi province, has called on ruling coalition partners to form a government in the province in line with the power-sharing alliance formed at the center.
The meeting of the party’s Koshi Province Committee held on Thursday CPN (Maoist-Center) and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), which are currently supporting the UML-led government in Koshi province, to withdraw their support immediately.
No party enjoys a majority in the 93-member Koshi Province Assembly. CPN-UML is the largest party in the province assembly with 40 members. While NC has 29, Maoist Center has 13 and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has six members. Similarly, CPN (Unified Socialist) and JSP have four and one members, respectively.
Of these parties, only UML and RPP are not in the ruling coalition formed at the center. However, despite forming a new coalition at the center, Maoist Center and JSP continue to support UML in Koshi Province.
Moreover, NC has expressed dissatisfaction with the Koshi Province Government’s decision to distribute laptops to all members of the provincial assembly. The party also decided to reject the laptops offered by the provincial government.
The province government has allocated Rs 15 million to procure laptops for all 93 members of the provincial assembly.
NC has suggested that the provincial government rather use the amount for public works.
The party has also decided to request the province government to immediately form a talks team to address the challenging situation arising from the naming of the province.
Ethnic Kirant people in the province have taken to the streets protesting the decision to name the province as ‘Koshi Province’. They have been demanding that the province be named on the basis of identity.
