KATHMANDU, Jan 7: Nepali Congress (NC), which is the largest party in the House of Representatives, has expedited negotiations to revive the electoral alliances it had forged with four other parties including CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party.
Senior NC leaders said that the meetings with the top leaders of various political parties in the past few days is an attempt to revive the electoral alliance. "We had forged an electoral alliance with the Maoist Center and other parties with a hope to continue this for a longer period. But for some reasons, this could not happen as Maoist Center decided to join the CPN-UML-led alliance. We are putting efforts to revive the electoral alliance," said a senior NC leader, asking not to be named.
NC youth leader Ram Hari Khatiwada said that they have asked CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to come to the NC-led alliance formed before the November 20 election. "There is no plan to make Prime Minister Dahal unable to secure a trust vote. Our efforts will be to bring his party in the NC-led alliance," said Khatiwada. "We also want to have good relations with the UML."
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NC President Deuba, who is also a former prime minister, on Friday held a meeting with CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal. Sources said the two leaders discussed reviving the alliance they had formed before the November 20 general elections.
Earlier on Thursday, Deuba held a meeting with Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendra Yadav at his residence in Dhumbarahi. Leaders close to him said Deuba also held a meeting with CPN (Maoist Center) leader Janardan Sharma on Wednesday. The two leaders are said to have discussed evolving political scenarios and NC’s support to Dahal in case he fails to garner requisite majority seats in parliament.
Sources said Deuba had sent NC leader Krishna Sitaula and Purna Bahadur Khadka as his emissaries to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Dahal. NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel is also holding quiet negotiations with leaders of various coalition partners of the ruling alliance including CPN (Unified Socialist).
Dahal was appointed as the new prime minister on December 26 with the support of 169 parliamentarians including UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Janta Samajwadi Party (JSP), Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party and three independent lawmakers, in line with Article 76(2) of the Constitution of Nepal.
Prime Minister Dahal is planning to seek a vote of confidence in parliament on January 10 as per the existing constitutional provision. A prime minister appointed under Article 76(2) needs to secure a vote of confidence in parliament within 30 days of the appointment. There are chances that NC and other parties in the electoral alliance will vote in favor of Dahal in parliament if the efforts to revive the previous alliance succeeds, according to NC leaders.
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