Nepal PM to take third vote of confidence on March 13 after switching alliance

As per the chief whip of Dahal's Maoist Centre party, the Prime Minister was informed about the floor test in the parliamentary party meeting that was held today.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is prepared to take his third vote of confidence on March 13. The latest round of vote of confidence, which comes amid a change in the coalition, is his third since he came to power about 15 months ago. As per the chief whip of Dahal's Maoist Centre party, the Prime Minister informed about the floor test in the parliamentary party meeting that was held today.

"The Prime Minister informed that he will be taking vote of confidence on 13 March in today's parliamentary party meeting. Whip also has been issued to all the lawmakers to attend the voting process," Hitraj Pandey, the Chief Whip of the Maoist Centre confirmed ANI over the phone. Making a surprise turn on March 4, Prime Minister Dahal decided to revive a coalition with the CPN-UML, which caught the largest coalition partner, the Nepali Congress (NC), off guard.

A new coalition including the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), the CPN-Maoist Centre, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the Janata Samajwadi Party was initially formed. As of now, the CPN-Maoist Centre has 32 seats, the CPN-UML has 78, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has 20 seats, and the Janata Samajbadi Party has 12 seats in the parliament. Since the formation of the new government, two other parties, the CPN-Unified Socialist Party and the Janata Samajbadi Party, have also come on board.

The Unified Socialist Party has 10 and the Janata Samajbadi Party has 12 seats in the lower house. As per the Constitution of Nepal 2072, a Prime Minister would need to cross the majority of 138 votes and Dahal, as of now, has a comfortable majority in his favour. Prime Minister Dahal, who has expanded and reshuffled his cabinet at least 12 times since he last came to power in December 2022, forged a coalition with the CPN-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML).

Soon after securing a staggering 99 per cent in the first round of votes of confidence on January 10, 2023, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on March 10, 2023, dumped the CPN-UML and forged an alliance with Nepali Congress to remain in power. Crossing a year mark, Dahal returned back to former ally duping Nepali Congress. (ANI)

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