As things stand, PM Oli likely to win vote of confidence in parliament

KATHMANDU: With Shankar Pokharel reappointed as the Chief Minister of Lumbini Pradesh, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is also set to undergo a floor test in the parliament slated for May 10.

Prime Minister Oli has informed about it in a cabinet meeting held in Baluwatar on Sunday.

Oli on Sunday also discussed summoning the parliament meeting on May 10 and initiating the process for taking the vote of confidence.

Prime Minister Oli requires 138 votes for the majority in the parliament. Ruling CPN-UML, which has 121 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives, requires additional 17 seats to garner majority in the parliament.

Main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) with 63 seats (two suspended), and CPN (Maoist Center) with 49 seats, are not likely to stand with Prime Minister Oli.

In this political scenario, Oli is solely dependent on Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) which has 34 seats (two suspended).

Oli has been trying to win the confidence of intra-party feud-ridden JSP by initiating the process of withdrawing cases filed against its cadres and leaders during the Madhesh movement.

However, Oli is not likely to get entire votes of JSP. The Bhattarai-Yadav group, the disgruntled faction of the JSP, is against Oli. Hence, only the Thakur-Mahato faction is in favor of Oli. Out of 32 lawmakers, the Bhattarai-Yadav group had unveiled the signatures of JSP 18 lawmakers against Oli on last Friday.

In case the JSP is divided, Oli requires additional 17 seats to make up 138 seats. Oli is aiming to garner votes of at least half votes of JSP and those of Rastriya Janamorcha (RJM), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and one independent lawmaker.

On the other hand, NC, Maoist Center and need the entire seats 32 seats of JSP for a new power sharing in alternative to the Oli-led government.

The total number of seats will reach 142 seats only when all the available seats of NC, Maoist Center and JSP are added together.

As things stand, NC, Maoist Center and JSP are unlikely to stand united for a new power sharing.