Political parties trying to avoid mid-term elections in Koshi

Fearing humiliating defeat in elections, the major parties have been exercising to avoid midterm polls in Koshi province which saw the formation and fall of four governments in the last 10 months.

Though the ruling coalition parties have a majority vote, their Chief Minister failed to prove his majority twice for some technical reason, ie in the absence of a provincial member from the opposition to preside over the meeting of the Provincial Assembly. Uddav Thapa of the Nepali Congress became victim to this technical-centric strategy of the CPN-UML twice. When the court invalidated the majority he showed, Hikmat Karki of the CPN-UML became the CM, but he also resigned for failing to show his majority in the 93-member Provincial Assembly.

Now the parties are exercising to form a majority government again. In this context, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and RPP Chair Rajendra Lingden held one round of talks regarding government formation. The RPP has six members in Koshi Province, and if it agrees to support the coalition government, the Province can have a stable government. But the ruling parties have not yet decided as to who should lead the new government. Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba wants Uddav Thapa should lead the government, but Thapa may not be able to receive RPP support. Even PM Dahal has been reported to have claimed the post for his party. If NC forwards anyone other than Thapa, RPP can back the coalition because RPP too does not want to go to the midterm poll.

Although NC general secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma have voiced that NC should be ready to form NCUML government in Koshi, Deuba is said to be against the idea of forming an NC-UML government citing that it will affect the entire present coalition.

The parties have to submit their claims for CM by Friday afternoon.