KATHMANDU: The election for the position of Chair of the National Assembly (NA) is scheduled to take place today.
The competition is primarily between two candidates who officially registered their candidacies for the chairmanship on Monday — Narayan Dahal representing Maoist Center and Yuvraj Sharma from Nepali Congress.
Dahal enjoys the backing of CPN-UML, the largest party in the ruling coalition, along with the support of Janata Samajwadi Party and the Unified Socialist Party.
With 39 MPs supporting this alliance, securing a majority seems probable for Dahal.
Notably, a minimum of 29 votes is required to secure the Chairmanship.
The initial choice for the post by the Nepali Congress party was Krishna Sitaula.
However, the political landscape shifted, prompting the Nepali Congress to nominate Yuvraj Sharma in response to the altered dynamics within the coalition.
The Maoist Center, initially considering Urmila Aryal or the newly elected member Jhakku Subedi for the position, underwent a significant shift.
The Nepali Congress’s insistence on the Chair’s role led to a rupture in the Maoist Center alliance, resulting in their merger with the CPN-UML.
In a strategic move, after reaching an agreement with the UML to secure the Speaker position for his party, Maoist Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ put forth his cousin brother Narayan Dahal as the candidate.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat released the final list of candidates on Monday, setting the stage for a crucial and closely watched election.
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