The days for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to take the vote of confidence are nearing. The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, is engaged in the game of breaking the power coalition.
Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to take the vote of confidence on the January 10. Unexpectedly, the UML-Maoist center became a power coalition and came to lead the government, Congress is stuck.
In return for the pain of being out of power despite being the dominant party, the Congress has planned to destroy the current alliance. For a few days now, all the mechanisms of the Congress have been focused on the maneuver to destroy this alliance.
The first meeting of the new parliament will be held on January 9. Congress has already broken the power alliance and created a new power equation. The pain of being out of power is more visible in the top and second level leaders of the Congress. The leaders of the establishment party are more affected by this than other parties of the Congress.
However, in recent days, it seems that other parties of the Congress have also joined in the game of breaking the alliance.
Especially after the formation of the new power equation, Nepali Congress Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba was sitting quietly. It was understood that he was not in favor of running the current coalition. But the leaders of the second level showed Deuba the possibilities of breaking the power coalition. And managed to agree on three. Only after that, the leaders of the Deuba establishment and other parties will be gathered together, and they will be engaged in the game of destruction from Thursday.
He is discussing and meeting with the top leaders of various parties participating in the new government till Friday evening. It is understood that some of the meetings are direct, while others are mediated. Various levels and agendas are being discussed through them. Discussions are being held especially on the issue of power sharing and political agenda.
The news that Chairman Deuba met with Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) President Rajendra Lingdel and Janata Samajwadi Party President Upendra Yadav came out on Friday morning. The 14-seat RPP has supported the current government. It has also decided to go to the government. And, the other party that got 12 seats, Jaspa has also supported it. Even before Prime Minister Dahal took the vote of confidence, Speaker Deuba tried to bring these two parties to his side.
Sources say that Deuba met Jaspa Chairman Upendra Yadav at his residence, but did not meet RPP Chairman Lingdel directly. It is said that talks are being held with Lyngdale through various channels. It is coming out that Speaker Deuba is deceiving RPP Chairman Lingdel by offering him the position of Prime Minister.
But the senior Congress leaders are not ready to accept the offer of the Prime Minister. On the other hand, it has come out that Lingdale said that he will make a decision only after discussion within the party.
These events, which started two days ago, have upset Prime Minister Dahal and CPN-UML President KP Sharma Oli. In the meantime, CPN United Socialist Party Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal also met Prime Minister Dahal alone.
However, the meeting was called a private affair. As of Friday afternoon, the Samajwadi Party has not yet decided to give a vote of confidence to Prime Minister Dahal.
Congress had warned that this alliance would not last long by holding a press conference only a day ago (Thursday). The Congress, which portrayed the current government as anti-constitutional, is trying to attract the pro-government parties. Dr. at the press conference. Prakasharan Mahat termed the current power coalition as an anti-republican, anti-federal, monarchist coalition.
This accusation of Congress could not last even a day. And, the Congress started a game of power equation with the president of the RP, an anti-federalism and anti-secular party, which is advocating monarchy. Various attempts were made to bring him to his side.
RPRPA and JSPA have supported this government on one hand and on the other hand they are participating in the new game of power equation started by Congress. Prime Minister Dahal and CPN-UML President Oli must have been worried about their double character.
If the latest developments take a meaningful form, the vote of confidence may not come in favor of Prime Minister Dahal. Another power equation game may begin.
There is no doubt that the Congress is engaged in an internal strategy to gain power. Meanwhile, it is understood that Chairman Deuba called Deputy Chairman Purna Bahadur Khadka, General Minister Ghay Gagan Kumar Thapa and Vishwa Prakash Sharma to his residence and discussed new possibilities of power equalization.
The Congress has also called a meeting of the parliamentary party tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 o’clock.
On the one hand, Prime Minister Dahal has not been able to expand the cabinet even though it has been more than a week since he was sworn in. On the other hand, the game of destroying the current coalition has already started. Looking at Prime Minister Banda’s arithmetic with the support of seven parties and some independent MPs, it was not a big deal for Prime Minister Dahal to get a vote of confidence.
Prime Minister Dahal had planned to complete the cabinet by taking a vote of confidence as soon as possible. But the parties and leaders who support him have started putting pressure on power sharing and other demands. This must be the reason why the Cabinet could not be expanded. Dahal’s vote of confidence has not been decided due to the non-expansion of the cabinet.
Due to the pain of losing all the positions from the center to the states, the Congress has started a strategy of distributing the positions up to the Prime Minister/Chief Minister to the small parties participating in power. After abandoning the alliance with the Congress, Dahal’s party, who became the Prime Minister with the support of the UML at the last moment, has also started to have suspicions about the latest activities of the Congress in the Maoist center. It is being argued that signs of distrust are beginning to appear between Prime Minister Dahal and UML President Oli.
It is possible that Prime Minister Dahal did not immediately expand the cabinet due to the fear that the Congress will do something wrong with the leaders of RPP and JSP in power sharing. Before taking the vote of confidence on 10th of January, Prime Minister Dahal is in a mood to secure himself by deciding the Chief Minister in Province One, Bagmati and Gandaki. However, the Nepali Congress has started a strategy to deceive the leaders of the power sharing party for these positions before January 10.
But looking at the numbers (counting the support of the parties, the number of seats with them) it does not look so easy for the Congress to get power. However, some are saying, ‘Congress is on a long-term strategy of gaining power’. Their argument is, ‘Congress is now on a strategy to lure a new alliance and later get trapped inside it.’
Published: 6 Jan 2079 22:30 Friday
