KATHMANDU: As a political crisis unfolds in Bagmati Province, senior leaders from the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML convened at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Thursday for crucial talks.
The meeting comes in the wake of deepening tensions within the provincial government, particularly after a split emerged between current Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama and Nepali Congress provincial assembly member Indra Baniya. Their power struggle has thrown the coalition into uncertainty.
On Wednesday, Baniya led a successful move within the Congress parliamentary party to unseat Lama as its leader. In a show of internal strength, Baniya secured 22 votes, while Lama received only 14. Despite losing the vote, Lama has refused to step down as Chief Minister, arguing that the constitution does not mandate his resignation under current circumstances.
Meanwhile, the UML has stated that it will wait for an official institutional decision from the central leadership of the Nepali Congress before taking any formal stance. The Nepali Congress parliamentary party in Bagmati, which met on Wednesday, also resolved to move forward only in accordance with directives from the party’s central leadership.
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