Maoist Center quits Koshi Government, withdraws support

Published On: July 26, 2024 01:45 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

BIRATNAGAR, July 26: The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) has decided to quit the Koshi Province government today. The Maoists have decided to quit the government and withdraw their support to the provincial government.

Despite the central power equation changing, the Maoist Center had not left the Koshi Province government led by CPN-UML. The ministers of the Maoist Center are submitting their resignations on Friday (today), after learning that Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki was about to sack them.

Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, Ganesh Upreti, said that the ministers from the Maoist Center would leave the government today and submit their resignations to the chief minister.

The ministers along with Upreti, who are set to quit and withdraw their support to the Koshi Province government are the Minister for Health, Rajendra Karki; Minister for Tourism, Forest and Environment, Narayan Barju Magar; and Minister of State for Tourism, Forests and Environment, Bandana Jhagad.

Indra Bahadur Angbo, the leader of the Maoist Center Parliamentary Party, said that he would also quit the government following his party's decision to withdraw support.

Once the Maoists withdraw support and quit, the way will open for the Nepali Congress (NC) to join the government. Chief Minister Karki has decided to allocate four out of nine ministries in the Koshi province to the NC. A meeting between the leaders of the NC and UML is scheduled for today to discuss the distribution of these ministries.

Kedar Karki became the Chief Minister under Article 168 (5) of the Constitution. However, on May 9, 2024, Hikmat Kumar Karki assumed the position following the dismissal of Kedar Karki through a resolution proposal. Even though the Supreme Court has made a judgment in favor of Hikmat Kumar Karki while responding to a writ petition filed by Kedar Karki against the formation of the new government, the full text of the decision has not yet been released.