BUTWAL: A dispute has surfaced within the ruling coalition over a possible leadership change in Lumbini Province, with the CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress at odds over a prior power-sharing agreement.
The Nepali Congress has maintained that it should take over the leadership of the provincial government in line with an earlier agreement between the two parties.
A meeting of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party held late Monday decided not to recall its ministers from the provincial government until the leadership handover is ensured. The meeting, held shortly after the presentation of the provincial policy and program, also decided to coordinate with the central leadership regarding the transfer of leadership.
“We should now get the leadership of the government as per the earlier understanding,” said Congress lawmaker Bir Bahadur Rana from Palpa, who is also a contender for the post of chief minister.
According to the agreement between the two parties, the party that holds the chief ministership would control three ministries, while the other would hold four. The policy and program has also proposed reducing the current 12 ministries in Lumbini to eight.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya reshuffled the provincial cabinet on Monday. Five newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecy at the Office of the Province Head in Butwal.
Those sworn in include UML leaders Tulsiprasad Chaudhary (Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives), Dilliraj Bhusal (Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation), Ramji Prasad Ghimire (Health), and Ratna Bahadur Khatri (Physical Infrastructure Development). Bhandarilal Ahir of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) was appointed Minister for Internal Affairs and Law.
Since the 2022 provincial elections, Lumbini Province has witnessed frequent changes in the ruling coalition. Following the elections on January 11, 2023, UML leader Lila Giri became chief minister with the support of 58 lawmakers. However, he was removed on April 24, 2023, after the Maoist Centre withdrew support following a change in the federal alliance.
NC leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary then became chief minister on April 27, 2023, but failed to give full shape to his cabinet for six months.
In March 2024, a renewed UML–Maoist alliance led to the appointment of Maoist leader Jokh Bahadur Mahara as chief minister on April 5, 2024. Following another shift in federal politics, Mahara resigned, and UML leader Chet Narayan Acharya was appointed chief minister on July 22, 2024. At the time, UML sidelined party provincial leader Lila Giri and brought Acharya forward as chief minister.
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