Race begins to become parliamentary party leader in Sudurpaschim

By Our Correspondent,Dhangadhi, Dec.25: The race to become the leader of the parliamentary party has started in Sudurpaschim Province. Aspiring provincial assembly members have joined the race to hold the top post of the parties they represent in the provincial assembly.

There is a constitutional provision of selecting the chief minister and parliamentary party leaders after the elections. That is why the aspirants began the race to their party headquarters hoping to lead the party in the province.

Six political parties achieved the identity of parliamentary party in Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly after the November 20 elections. Out of which, none of the parties has the majority to form the government. 

However, the ruling Left Democratic Alliance Party the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) have reached a clear majority to form the government. There are 19, 11 and four provincial assembly members from these parties respectively.

Support of 27 provincial assembly members is required to form a majority government in this province and the ruling coalition has 34 members in it.

It seems that the coalition members could form the government in this province as the members of the provincial assembly are in a rush to become the leader of the party. It is said that there are five aspirants to become the leader of the NC parliamentary party.

Nrip Sunar, NC secretary in Kailali, said that Prakash Deuba, Diwansingh Bista, Kamal Bahadur Shah, Bahadur Singh Thapa and Meghraj Khadka were the aspiring leaders to lead the NC here. “All five are in a race with claims for leadership,” he said.

Sunar guessed that Prakash Deuba was the most likely candidate for the post. “Deuba is also the nephew of the party Chairman and the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba,” he added. However, Diwansingh Bista, who won November 20 elections from Kanchanpur was also claiming the post of the Chief Minister.

Similarly, the leaders of Maoist Centre were also contending for the position of chief minister. 

They were conducting training about how the parliamentary party leader leads the members in the assembly. Khagraj Bhatt and Om Bikram Bhatt 'Saral' are the aspiring candidates to become the leader of the party.

Bhatt has a claim for both the chief minister and the parliamentary leader. Om Bikram also insisted that he is qualified for the leadership. The first provincial government was run by Maoists and they are strongly presenting their claim to run the government this time too.

However, since the Maoists have been running the government for five years, the NC leaders seem confident that the NC would now take its turn.

According to the Constitution the ‘province head’ has to appoint the chief minister and council of ministers under his chairmanship from that parliamentary party who has a majority in the provincial assembly. If any party does not have a clear majority, there is a provision that parties can obtain a majority with the support of two or more parties representing the provincial assembly.