The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to give the vote of confidence to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda.
The NC’s parliamentary party (PP) meeting held at Lhotse Hall in the federal parliament building in New Baneshwor took a decision to this effect.
Earlier, the meeting of the office-bearers held at Dhumbarahi this morning had hinted out towards giving the vote of confidence to Prime Minister Dahal.
Prime Minister Dahal is taking the vote of confidence in the meeting of House of Representatives at 1 pm today. The NC has a total of 89 lawmakers.
CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madav Nepal and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party led by Mahantha Thakur have also given a nod to give the vote of confidence to Dahal.
As things go as expected, Prime Minister Dahal will receive the vote of confidence from as many as 272 lawmakers in the 275-member HoR.
Other lawmakers who are mum on giving their vote of confidence to Dahal are Independent lawmaker Yogendra Mandal, Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) lawmaker Prem Suwal.
The 68-year-old CPN (Maoist Centre) leader was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time with the backing of of 169 lawmkers on December 26. They are 78 lawmakes from UML, 32 from CPN (Maoist Center), 20 from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), 14 from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), six from Janamat Party, four from Nagarik Unmukti Party and 12 from Janata Samajwadi Party and three independent lawmakers.
There is a constitutional provision that a person who has become the prime minister should take the vote of confidence within 30 days of swearing into office.
Mr. Prachanda was appointed as the country's new prime minister after he submitted a letter to President Bhandari showing the support of 169 members in the 275-member House of Representatives.
He needs 138 votes for a clear majority in the House.
He turned the tables to become the executive head of the landlocked nation after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader KP Sharma Oli.
The 275-member lower house has 165 directly-elected members and the remaining 110 from the proportional representation system. Lawmaker Tek Bahadur Gurung from Manang has been suspended at the moment.
