Kathmandu, January 31
Some CPN-UML leaders have urged the party leadership to pick provincial parliamentary party leaders in all provinces in consensus, not through voting.
A recent meeting of the party’s Standing Committee has decided to elect provincial parliamentary party leaders through voting if attempts for consensus fail.
Whereas the party is going to lead four provincial governments, whoever wins the polls will lead the government in provinces 1, 3, 4 and 5.
Provincial assembly members in Province 5 have already elected Shankar Pokhrel as their leader; hence his election to the chief minister is almost certain because the left alliance of UML and CPN-Maoist Centre has a comfortable majority in the assembly.
But, there are more than one leaders to claim the top positions in provinces 1, 3 and 4. Sherdhan Rai, Bhim Acharya and Jeevan Ghimire have expressed their desire to lead the provincial government in Province 1. Ashta Laxmi Shakya and Rajendra Pandey in Province 3 and Prithvi Subba Gurung and Kiran Gurung in Province 4 have also claimed the positions.
In the party’s internal factional division, Rai belongs to the Oli faction while Acharya and Ghimire belong to Madhav Kumar Nepal-led group. Apparently, Nepal group is stronger in Province 1. In Province 3, Shakya and Pandey represent Nepal and Oli camps respectively. Both have claimed that they can garner majority support.
But, none’s victory is secured if the voting is held to elect provincial parliamentary party leaders. Therefore, some leaders have exerted pressure on the party leadership to choose chief ministerial candidates in consensus, arguing it will also give a message of unity.
