Nepal: Prachanda Seeks Oli's Support To Become PM As Ruling Alliance Breaks Down, Says Report

Paudel told ANI over the phone that Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, left the coalition meeting on Sunday after declaring that "the coalition has lost its relevance."

Pushpa Kamal Dahal known as Prachanda, shakes hands with KP Sharma Oli.

Source : File Photo/AFP

New Delhi: After the Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center) failed to reach a power-sharing agreement on who will be the prime minister in the first phase, Nepal's ruling coalition collapsed dramatically, reported news agency IANS. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as "Prachanda," chairman of the CPN (Maoist Center), met KP Sharma Oli, president of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and former Prime Minister, and held a meeting with him after he left the meeting of the ruling coalition, which was held with the intention of coming to an agreement on the formation of the government. 

Meanwhile, Pushpa Kamal Dahal submited an application regarding his candidature as the next PM of Nepal.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal submits an application regarding his candidature as the next PM of Nepal

(Pics source: President's Office, Nepal) pic.twitter.com/EKwZZFaj7O

— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2022

The front-runners for the position of the prime minister were Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, the incumbent prime minister, and Prachanda.

According to Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel, Nepal's Maoist Center has decided to leave the ruling alliance, reported news agency ANI. He cited Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of the Maoist Centre, as saying that the "coalition has lost its relevance." Paudel told ANI over the phone that Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, left the coalition meeting on Sunday after declaring that "the coalition has lost its relevance." 

"Agreement hasn't been reached," the Maoist Center's press secretary stated in response to the news of Dahal's walkout.

"The meeting of the ruling coalition ends. No decision has been made," leaders, who were present in the meeting earlier said.

In the meantime, Dev Gurung, General Secretary of the Maoist Centre, made the threat that the Nepali Congress would "walk out" of the coalition if they continued to insist on holding both the prime minister's and president's offices.

"If the Congress is adamant on their demand of holding the position of President and PM then there's no need for a coalition. We would simply walk out from it," Gurung told ANI over the phone on Sunday.

"This same statement was made in Saturday's meeting and is also conveyed today. We have come to the conclusion in the meeting to walk out of the coalition in case the same instance is repeated. Still, the final decision would be made by the party chairman in the meeting," he added.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Chairman of the Maoist Party, has insisted that he should lead the government, while the Nepali Congress has insisted that it, as the largest party, should lead the government. 

After 5 p.m., numerous possibilities exist that could be observed. Either President Bidhya Devi Bhandari or the parties can request additional time for the consensus.

Sher Bahadur Deuba is the leader of the party that holds the majority of seats in parliament, so the President may also choose to appoint him as Prime Minister. If Deuba is appointed, he must demonstrate a majority on the House floor within 30 days. 

Since no party currently holds the majority, the country would have to go through another round of elections if he was unable to form a government, triggering a constitutional crisis.