Ministers’ swearing-in uncertain in Bagmati

By Rammani Dahal,Makawanpur, Aug,1: The swearing-in of three newly appointed ministers in Bagmati Province Government has been uncertain.

The swearing-in ceremony of three ministers, all of them appointed from the Nepali Congress, was scheduled for 1:00 pm on Thursday. However, the ceremony was postponed indefinitely after the Chief of the Province, Deepak Prasad Devkota, fell ill.

On the recommendation of Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama Tamang, Province Chief Devkota on Wednesday appointed three new ministers-- Govinda Lamsal, Geeta Gurung, and Maya Shrestha.

Lamsal, who hails from Dhading, has been appointed Minister for Internal Affairs and Law. Gurung and Shrestha, both from Chitwan, have been assigned the Ministries of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, and Youth and Sports, respectively. Lamsal and Gurung currently serve as chief whip and whip of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party.

CM Lama has appointed them after dismissing four ministers who stood against him in the party’s parliamentary party, and one, Shyam Khadka resigned. 

In a statement issued on Thursday, the office of the Province Chief said that the swearing-in ceremony was postponed until further notice. 

It is said that Chief Devkota postponed the swearing-in after Indra Bahadur Baniya, the newly elected parliamentary party leader of NC in Bagmati Province Assembly, wrote Chief Devkota not to administer oath to the new ministers. 

It is said that a faction in the NC and the UML wanted to halt the swearing-in of the new ministers. The UML has reportedly said it would support establishment faction of NC led by Baniya. Bagmati’s is a coalition government of NC and UML. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Baniya was elected as the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in the Bagmati Province Assembly by defeating CM Lama. In the election, Baniya secured 22 votes and Lama got 14 votes. One vote was declared invalid, as per the Parliamentary Party Leader Election Committee. The Nepali Congress currently holds 37 seats in the Bagmati Province Assembly.

Baniya, who also serves as the president of the Nepali Congress Bagmati Province Committee, was elected to the post after a no-confidence motion led to the removal of the previous leader, Lama. This marks Baniya’s second attempt at the position, having lost to Lama in the previous election held in December 2022 by 21 to 16 votes. He represents Makawanpur District’s Provincial Assembly Constituency No. 2 (B). Baniya previously served as a member of the 2070 Constituent Assembly.

Even after NC’s majority members of the Provincial Assembly registered a no trust motion against him, Chief Minister Lama appointed ministers, stating that he would not step down.