POKHARA: Gandaki Province Chief Dilli Raj Bhatta has invited political parties to stake a claim for government formation in the province.
According to a notice published by the Office of the Province Chief, Bhatta has called on two or more parties to submit a claim for government formation as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal within seven days.
Parties have until 3 pm on April 9 to make the claim.
Province Chief Bhatta invited parties to form a government after Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey submitted his resignation early Wednesday morning. Pandey, the parliamentary party leader of the Nepali Congress (NC), stepped down after it became clear that he would not be able to secure a vote of confidence in the province assembly. His government fell into the minority after CPN (Maoist Center) withdrew its support on March 6. He was required to undergo a floor test by April 4.
The provincial government fell into uncertainty with the formation of a new ruling coalition in the center. Pandey dismissed two Maoist Center ministers from his cabinet on March 5 after the party ditched NC to form a new alliance with CPN-UML and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in the center.
Who will be the next Chief Minister?
As per the power-sharing agreement among coalition partners reached in Kathmandu on Tuesday, UML will lead the next government in Gandaki Province. This means the stage is set for UML’s parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly, Khaga Raj Adhikari, to return as the Chief Minister.
Adhikari held the position briefly after the November 2022 election. He stepped down after the Maoist Center ditched UML and joined hands with NC in March last year.
However, it will be difficult for Adhikari to secure the support of 31 members required to form a government in the 60-member provincial assembly. He will be two members short of the majority as UML and Maoist Center have 22 and 7 members, respectively.
Nepali Congress, the largest party in the provincial assembly with 27 members, also cannot secure the support of 31 members.
Phanindra Devkota of Nepal Samajbadi Party (NSP), who contested the election with the election symbol of Maoist Center, and Independent Member Rajiv Gurung are the remaining two members in the provincial assembly.
Gurung, who had joined CPN (Unified Socialist) after getting elected as an independent member, quit the party last week to support Pandey.
RPP holds the key
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which has two members in the provincial assembly, holds the key to government formation in Gandaki.
The support of RPP’s two members will be sufficient for the UML-Maoist Center coalition to form a government. However, RPP’s central leadership has publicly stated that it won’t support any party to form a government in provinces.
Pandey had to step down as he failed to win the support of RPP. UML’s Adhikari will have to appease the RPP leaders if he is to return as the chief minister of the province.
If parties fail to make a claim for government formation within seven days, the Province Chief will invite Pandey, the parliamentary party leader of the largest party in the provincial assembly, to form a government, as per Article 168 (3) of the Constitution of Nepal.
He, however, will be required to take a vote of confidence within 30 days of his appointment.
