Kathmandu, Aug 23: Discontent is growing within the ruling Nepali Communist Party (NCP) in Lumbini Province over government participation and power sharing, with provincial assembly member Rajkumar Chaudhary asking to be seated on the opposition bench.
Chaudhary, who was elected from the erstwhile Nagarik Unmukti Party and later joined the NCP, submitted a letter to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat on Bhadra 6, accusing the party leadership of making unilateral decisions contrary to the spirit of party unity.
According to the Speaker’s Office, Chaudhary said decisions were being made unilaterally by leaders from the former CPN Maoist Centre, leaving him with no option but to oppose the government. He asked the Speaker to arrange seating for him as an opposition member while maintaining his constitutional and parliamentary status.
Chaudhary said the leadership had attempted to establish a monopoly in decision-making. “The leadership has acted against the spirit of unity and tried to establish a monopoly, leaving us with no option but to revolt,” he said. He warned that further rebellion could follow if the party failed to reflect the spirit of unity at the provincial level.
The dispute appears linked to cabinet expansion and ministerial appointments. Chaudhary alleged that lawmakers who joined the NCP from the former Nagarik Unmukti Party and CPN Unified Socialist were excluded from the government, while those with Maoist Centre backgrounds received priority.
The Lumbini assembly has 13 NCP members, including the Speaker: nine from the former Maoist Centre, three from Nagarik Unmukti and one from Unified Socialist.
The dispute has emerged shortly after Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya secured a confidence vote. He received 45 votes against 26, comfortably exceeding the 42 needed in the 83-member assembly.
With Chaudhary seeking opposition status, questions over representation, power sharing and decision-making within the newly unified NCP are likely to intensify.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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