Dahal hints at toppling Province 2 government

Cases of corruption are on the rise. The day is not far when NCP will have to lead the govt in the province

Kathmandu, April 30

Co-chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal today said his party could lead the Province 2 government, as the provincial government was not functioning in the interest of the people.

Dahal made the remark at an event to welcome Madhesi leaders who joined the NCP at his residence in Khumaltar, Lalitpur, this morning.

He said only a government led by the NCP could work in the interest of the people in Province 2.

Claiming that the NCP could form a government in Province 2 any day if it wanted, he said the party had refrained from doing so, hoping that the incumbent government would mend its ways.

“But cases of corruption are on the rise. I hear people’s phone numbers are included in the red book while preparing development plans,” he said. “All this indicates that the day is not far when NCP will have to lead the government.”

Dahal also expressed commitment that the upcoming policies and programmes of the government for the next fiscal would have special package for development of Tarai-Madhes. He added that the government would do its bit to forge consensus to amend the constitution to address the concerns of Madhesis. Provincial leaders, however, lambasted Dahal for his remark, terming it ‘a daydream’.

Province 2 Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut said they did not take Dahal’s remark seriously, because Dahal was used to daydreaming. “With a few Madhesi leaders joining his party, Dahal got carried away,” Raut told THT over phone.

Challenging Dahal to topple the provincial government, Raut said the federal government and the ruling party did not like the Province 2 government’s efforts to institutionalise federalism. He said the federal government could always monitor works done by the provincial government, and punish those involved in wrongdoings. “But instead, they are resorting to propaganda,” said Raut.

The NCP is the single largest party in Province 2 with 32 of the 107 Provincial Assembly seats. However, the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (29 seats) leads the provincial government with the support of Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (25). The NCP, although it is not a part of the Province 2 coalition, has supported the provincial government. The FSF-N is also a part of the federal government.

The Nepali Congress has 19 seats in the provincial assembly.