Kathmandu, October 17
Preparations are afoot to expand the Prachanda-led government well before Tihar. According to a source, the plan is to induct four ministers and 10 ministers of state in the existing 34-member Cabinet.
The ruling parties, according to leaders, will hold discussions on Cabinet expansion once Prime Minister Prachanda returns from Goa.
If the plan materialises, the Prachanda government will beat the KP Oli-led ruling coalition on at least one count: While the Oli Cabinet had 41 members, Team Prachanda will have 44 members.
If the plan materialises, the Prachanda government will beat the KP Oli government on at least one count: While the Oli Cabinet had 41 members, Team Prachanda will have 44 members.
Nepali Congress Central Working Committee member Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who is considered close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, said the Cabinet will get ‘full shape’ before Tihar.
He said: We have agreed on selection of state ministers and power sharing vis-a-vis four ministries before Dashain.
Prachanda has asked the NC to bring down the number of state ministers, pointing that he will be blamed for the Jumbo Cabinet. But Deuba is under pressure from within the Congress for Cabinet expansion
On his part, Prachanda has asked the NC to bring down the number of state ministers, pointing that he will be blamed for the Jumbo Cabinet. But Deuba is under pressure from within the Congress for Cabinet expansion.
The NC is likely to get eight state ministers in the new scheme of things, even as Karki said they are yet to finalise the numbers.
The Ram Chandra Poudel camp within the Congress has demanded at least four state ministerial berths. The Krishna Sitaula group will also seek its share. If the Congress gets eight state ministers, three of the positions will go to the Poudel camp, according to the source.
In the present Cabinet, the Congress has one deputy prime minister and 15 ministers, whereas the CPN-Maoist Centre has Prime Minister, eight ministers, including one DPM, and four state ministers.
The RPP has two ministers, while CPN-United has one minister in the Cabinet. RPP has also sought state ministerial berths in the ministries that it is heading. An RPP source said Prime Minister has promised one state minister to the party.
The Maoist party already has four state ministers in the existing Cabinet, so it will not seek more state ministerial berths.
MJF-Democratic under Bijaya Gachchhadar has sought two ministers and one state minister.
Currently, Ministry of Women and Children, Ministry of Livestock Development, Ministry of Water and Sanitation and Ministry of Science and Technology are without ministers. NC leader Karki said MJF-Democratic is likely to get two ministries.
Fringe parties under political figures like Prem Bahadur Singh, Eknath Dhakal, Kumar Khadka, Viswendra Paswn, Yashoda Tamang, Haricharan Shah are also seeking leadership of ministries.
A source said: As small parties do not have the power to topple the government, preparations are afoot to give two ministries to MJF-Democratic and let big parties take leadership of the remaining ministries.
State ministers: Probable names
PM Prachanda is against giving more than seven state ministerial berths to the Congress, though the latter has sought eight such berths. From the Poudel camp, Jivan Pariyar, Sarita Prasain and Surendra Acharya are likely to become state ministers.
Discussions are afoot on picking Abdul Rajjak, Ram Hari Khatiwada, Dilip Gachchhadar, Ang Tawa Sherpa, Sita Ram Mehta and Suvarna Jwarchan, among others, from the Deuba camp.
From RPP, either Parshu Ram Tamang or Rajya Laxmi Shrestha is likely to become state minister, a source said. Bijaya Gachchhadar will select some other leaders from the party as he is unlikely to land any plum ministerial berth.
Gachchhadar is relenting as his party is likely to split if it does not join the Prachanda government, though he is yet to pick ministerial candidates from his party.
Jitendra Narayan Dev, Yogendra Chaudhary, Janak Raj Chaudhary, Babu Ram Pokharel, Subodh Pokharel and Gita Rana, among others, are vying for ministerial berths from MJF-Democratic.
