PM Dahal struggling to retain the majority

It seems Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has started feeling that he may not be able to complete his term of two and a half years. It is evident from the induction of Anita Devi of the Janamat Party in the Cabinet by removing Aman Lal Modi of his party who had been performing well in the present Cabinet. PM Dahal convinced the Janamat Party that had quit the government on March 31 this year to rejoin it again only to avoid the possible risk of falling his government in minority. Earlier, the Janamat Party had quit the government on March 31 after Prime Minister Dahal denied the party to give the Ministry of Industry.

After Janamat Party failed to get the demanded ministry, the then Minister for Water Supply Abdul Khan appointed by the party tendered his resignation on March 31.

But again, Prime Minister Prachanda managed to convince the Janamat Party to join the government by vacating the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to it. PM Dahal took this move after the rival faction of the NC looked closely at CPNUML

chair KP Oli on the issue of gold smuggling. Many NC leaders close to Dr. Shekhar Koirala also demanded the formation of a high level committee to investigate the gold scam case in tune with the UML's demand during the party's parliamentary party meeting. Moreover, NC lawmaker Sunil Sharma announced to stage a fastunto-death if DPM and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha does not step down. This created fear in Dahal.

Moreover, Upendra Yadav, chairman of Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal, has warned of quitting the government after the government signed a fivepoint agreement with the victims of the Gaur bloodbath of March 21, 2007, when 27 persons were killed brutally.

As Upendra's former party Madhesi Janadhikar Forum was directly involved in the massacre, any agreement with the victims could pose a threat to his political career and had warned of quitting the government. However, it was reported that Yadav became calm after PM Dahal and NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba assured him that the agreement was not targeted at him.

Also, JSP-N and Janamat Party are arch rivals, and Yadva had been opposing the induction of a minister from the Janamat Party. But the five-point agreement compelled Yadav to remain in the government accepting the induction of a minister from the Janamt Party. Otherwise, he may face action based on the same agreement.

But the anti-corruption drive taken by him could become costly for PM Dahal because many of the NC and UML leaders have been involved in those corruption cases in one way or another.