KATHMANDU: As discontent brews within the Nepali Congress (NC) over the functioning of the coalition government, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a one-hour meeting on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar.
The meeting comes amid growing frustration from senior Nepali Congress leaders toward the Oli-led government.
Following sharp criticism from Dr. Shekhar Koirala, NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa also voiced his dissatisfaction, remarking that the government’s pace was “slower than that of a turtle.”
Another senior leader, NP Saud, has also publicly criticized the government, adding to the chorus of dissent within the party.
While Nepali Congress leaders have become increasingly vocal, the CPN-UML has maintained a conspicuous silence.
The UML Secretariat meeting held on Monday merely reiterated the need to make the government more effective.
Confirming Tuesday’s meeting, UML leader Dr. Rajan Bhattarai stated that Oli and Deuba discussed measures to improve the government’s performance and agreed to continue working together.
The dialogue between the top leaders comes at a politically sensitive time, with opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ recently claiming that a new government, led by the Nepali Congress, could be formed in the upcoming Nepali year 2082 BS.
As Prachanda stirs talk of regime change, internal dissatisfaction within the Nepali Congress continues to mount.
On the same day as the Oli-Deuba meeting, Gagan Thapa made scathing remarks, accusing middlemen of having infiltrated even the Prime Minister’s bedroom—an indication of just how deep the disillusionment has become within the ruling coalition’s largest partner.
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