KATHMANDU: A picture surfaced from Balkot on Thursday night amid tense political circumstances concerning the United States-backed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Nepali politics.
Nepali Congress (NC) President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, his wife ‘First Lady’ Arzu Rana Deuba, who is also a prominent NC central member, and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli are sitting comfortably at Oli residence in Balkot, Bhaktapur. PM Deuba and Rana Deuba paid a visit to the main opposition leader as soon as a meeting of the ruling coalition concluded that night.
The UML has hindered the government by obstructing the parliament, while ruling coalition member Maoist Center’s Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is trying to hook Deuba to himself.
The NC is in favor of ratifying the MCC from parliament as the UML is inclined to support it. However, the Maoist Center’s politics of deception has put Deuba in a tough spot.
Nevertheless, NC leader Rana Deuba’s activism to reconcile between Oli and Deuba to achieve a common goal is clearly visible. Kitchen cabinet-handler Rana Deuba is stepping outside to help Deuba maneuver politics and finalize the MCC. There has also been talk that Deuba’s private home ministry exerts more influence in the Deuba Council of Ministers than the government’s home minister himself.
People in Deuba’s kitchen cabinet also say that Arju Deuba has played important role in taking decisive action utilizing her diplomacy. A political discourse to break the alliance in order to finalize MCC has also entered contemporary politics of late.
Rana Deuba is involving herself in decisive discussion in order to help PM Deuba as Prachanda seem to have embraced the dual role of opposition and a ruling partner, putting Deuba in a tight sport.
It is clear that ‘Arzu Rana Deuba’ factor is enough to take care of the ruling alliance if Prachanda and another coalition partner Unified Socialist Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal continue to play double roles and if Oli supports Deuba and NC to pass the MCC.
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