The three major parties of Province 1 -- CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Center) and Nepali Congress -- have agreed to name Province 1 as Koshi Province.
UML, NC and Maoist Center held their party meetings and decided to vote for Koshi Province as the name of Province 1.
With the three major parties jointing hands in naming the province as Koshi Province, the possibility of having Koshi Province as the name for Province 1 is high.
Earlier, a proposal to name Province-1 as Koshi Province was registered in the Province Assembly Secretariat.
CPN (UML) lawmaker Ram Bahadur Rana Magar proposed the name and it was seconded by Niran Rai of UML and Bhumi Prasad Rajbanshi of Nepali Congress.
Similarly, another ruling party, the Maoist Center, said that it would not have a different opinion on the proposal. “We will vote in favor of Koshi Province,” Maoist Center lawmaker Ganesh Upreti said.
Two thirds majority is required to finalize the name of the province. Of the 93-member Province Assembly of Province 1, 63 members are required to endorse the proposal.
In Province 1, UML has 40 lawmakers, NC 29, Maoist Center 13, Rastriya Prajatantra Party six, CPN (Unified Socialist) four and Janata Samajbadi Party has one lawmaker.
Since both the ruling and opposition parties are united on the issue, the proposal of naming Province 1 as Koshi Province is likely to be endorsed by two thirds majority.
Meanwhile, Limbuwan-Kirat Joint Struggle Committee has announced a protest against the major parties’ decision to name Province 1 as Koshi Province.
Issuing a press note, the committee has called on general public to gather in front of the province assembly building in Biratnagar at 3 pm and exert pressure on the lawmakers to declare Province 1 as the Limbuwan-Kirat Province.
