KATHMANDU: Sudurpashchim Province Chief Minister and leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party, Kamal Bahadur Shah, is facing a leadership challenge after a majority of the party’s provincial lawmakers formally demanded a change in parliamentary leadership.
According to provincial assembly member Padam Bahadur Shahi, a petition seeking a change in leadership has been officially registered with the Nepali Congress parliamentary party secretariat. He expressed confidence that the party’s central leadership would send representatives and take an appropriate decision on the matter.
The Nepali Congress holds 18 seats in the Sudurpashchim Provincial Assembly. However, provincial lawmaker Prakash Bahadur Deuba is currently in the United States, leaving 17 lawmakers present in the province. Of those, nine have signed the petition demanding new leadership.
The signatories include Diwan Singh Bista, Man Bahadur Rawal, Padam Bahadur Shahi, Bel Bahadur Rana, Juna Dani, Lalita Sunar, Gita Chaudhary, Tulsi Devkota and Dammari Mahara.
Political observers note that most of the lawmakers backing the leadership change were previously aligned with former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba’s faction, but are now considered closer to party president Gagan Kumar Thapa.
The development has intensified internal political maneuvering within the Nepali Congress in Sudurpashchim and could have significant implications for the future of the provincial government if the party’s central leadership decides to intervene.
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