By Our Reporter
The alliance between the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) came as a big surprise for Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba this time.
It was as shocking and sudden as their decision to unify the two communist parties back in 2017, just two months before the general election. Then Deuba was leading the government, but he was unaware of the development between the two parties. Seven years after that, Deuba faced the same situation. He was sacrificing everything to save the NC-Maoist coalition in the hope of becoming prime minister for the sixth time. But Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided otherwise, he forged an impossible-like alliance with the CPN-UML led by KP Oli, against which he had rebelled in 2021 paving the way for Deuba to become the PM by overthrowing Oli.
But in three years, the two leaders again became friends without giving any hint to Deuba until Sunday.
Then what prompted Dahal to end the coalition with the NC? The media reported several reasons.
However, considering the expressions of PM Dahal over the months, one can conclude that the differences between PM Dahal and Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat were key to ending the NC-Maoist partnership.
Mahat did not obey the PM’s instructions and did not think it necessary to seek the PM’s permission even to make reviews of the budget. Fed up with the activities of Dr. Mahat, who is widely regarded as one of the corrupt leaders in the NC, Dahal frequently requested Deuba to change the Finance Minister, but Deuba denied it. Mahat also opposed any Chinese support under BRI and even grants from China, and this also displeased Dahal. Again, Deuba and his spouse Arzu Rana exerted unnecessary pressure on Dahal to transfer police officers investigating the fake Bhutanese refugee case because Rana was likely to be dragged into the case. This brought Dahal and Oli closer, which culminated in the change of the coalition on Monday.
Besides, the Maoists were unhappy when a faction of the NC deceived them in the election of Chief Minister in Koshi and the National Assembly election recently. Likewise, the reports submitted by NC Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka defaming the ‘people’s war’ and General Secretary Gagan Thapa’s not to forge a pre-election alliance in the Mahasamiti meeting this month further irked the Maoists. However, months before the Mahasmiti meetings, Dahal and Oli were reportedly making strategies to revive the left unity.
Again, there are others who argue that the northern neighbour played a key role in bringing the communist leaders closer again. This could be a reason, as Oli has been trying to woo Madhav Kumar Nepal to join the new coalition.
Anyway, the new coalition of the UML-Maoists has thwarted the hopes of Deuba to become the PM for the sixth time as well as of Nepal to become the PM for the second time.
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