Kathmandu, Mar 4 (PTI) Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Monday decided to form a new alliance with former premier KP Sharma Oli’s party after terminating its nearly 15-month partnership with the Nepali Congress due to differences between the top leadership.
The alliance between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) led by Prachanda and the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led Nepali Congress has been terminated as the growing differences between the two top leaders reached a climax, a CPN-Maoist Centre party leader said.
“As (the) Nepali Congress did not cooperate with the Prime Minister, we are forced to look for (a) new alliance,” Ganesh Shah, Secretary of the CPN-Maoist, told PTI.
Prachanda became the prime minister for the third term with the support of the Nepali Congress on December 25, 2022.
After breaking the alliance with the Nepali Congress –the largest party in the House of Representatives–Prachanda joined hands with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) [CPN-UML], led by Oli, who was regarded as Prachanda’s top critic.
Last year, the CPN-UML withdrew its support to the Prachanda-led government following a rift over backing the main opposition party’s candidate for the presidential poll.
The new cabinet will be formed on Monday afternoon, and the size of the cabinet will be smaller, said Surendra Pandey, Vice-chairman of the CPN-UML.
The rift between the Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress grew after differences grew between Nepali Congress leader and Finance Minister Mahat and Prachanda over the issue of budget allocation to certain projects.
The rift grew as Nepali Congress President Deuba wanted the party’s senior leader and newly elected National Assembly member Krishna Sitaula to be made the Chairman of the National Assembly, against Prachanda’s plan to appoint his party’s fellow to the key post.
On Monday, the CPN-UML Chairman Oli met Prachanda at the Prime Minister’s quarters at Baluwatar and discussed matters relating to forming a new alliance, Shah said.
“The two leaders discussed the formation of a new government, a future course of action and possible leftist alliance among others, according to sources close to Baluwatar,” Shah said. PTI SBP GRS AKJ NSA NSA
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