KATHMANDU: Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) Chair Ranjita Shrestha has once again extended support to the government, giving Congress and UML the numbers they need to move forward with their plan to unseat Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Congress and UML had begun collecting signatures from their lawmakers on Tuesday in preparation for a no-confidence motion against the Deputy Speaker. Ranjita also attended the ruling coalition’s meeting held soon after.
The NUP had withdrawn its support for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government on July 6, prompting State Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Arun Chaudhary to resign. However, PM Oli has not yet accepted Chaudhary’s resignation.
Despite the withdrawal, on Wednesday, Ranjita who recently appointed herself as parliamentary party leader, sent a letter to the Parliament Secretariat declaring continued support and trust in the government. She also notified that her party’s lawmakers would now sit on the ruling benches in Parliament.
“In line with the party’s decision, the earlier letter of July 6 withdrawing support is hereby nullified,” she wrote, adding that the NUP would stand firmly with the current government.
Ranjita had previously removed Gangaram Chaudhary as the party’s parliamentary leader after he wrote to the Speaker withdrawing support for the government.
In Wednesday’s coalition meeting at Singha Durbar, Ranjita participated alongside Congress and UML leaders. The meeting also saw the presence of LSP Chair Mahantha Thakur, whose party holds four seats in Parliament, equal to the NUP. LSP leader Sharatsingh Bhandari currently serves as Minister for Labor. Additionally, Janamat Party lawmaker Anita Devi attended; the party holds six seats under CK Raut’s leadership.
With Ranjita’s support, the Congress-UML alliance gains additional strength in its bid to oust the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Currently, the House of Representatives has 274 members, but one seat is vacant following the death of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Deepak Bohora in Rupandehi-3. A by-election is scheduled for November 3.
To pass a motion for the removal of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, two-thirds of the total existing members, 183 lawmakers, must vote in favor.
Congress (88) and UML (79) together hold 167 seats. Adding the 7 from Ashok Rai’s Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) brings the count to 174. The support of Janamat’s 6 and LSP’s 4 raises it to 184, crossing the two-thirds threshold. With NUP’s 4 seats included, the ruling coalition now commands 188 seats, well above the requirement.
On the opposition side, there are 84 lawmakers: 32 from CPN (Maoist Center), 21 from RSP (reduced after Chair Rabi Lamichhane’s suspension), 13 from RPP, 10 from CPN (Unified Socialist), 5 from another JSP faction, and a handful from smaller parties and independents.
According to Rule 210 of the House of Representatives regulations, a proposal to remove the Speaker or Deputy Speaker can be filed if at least one-fourth of the total members support the motion, citing conduct inconsistent with the dignity of the position. The decision then requires a two-thirds majority of the House.
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