After reaching an agreement to form a government under its leadership in Koshi Province, the Nepali Congress has urged Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) to extend its support.
Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has taken the initiative to bring the RPP to its side in Koshi by deploying leaders of various levels.
The Congress, which has put forward Uddhav Thapa, the Congress parliamentary party leader of the province, as the chief minister of Koshi Province, cannot form a government without the support of RPP.
As the deadline to form the new government is fast-approaching, President Deuba has entrusted various levels of leaders with the task of coaxing RPP for its support.
Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, General Secretary Gagan Thapa, Central Member Dr. Minendra Rijal and Koshi Parliamentary Party leader Uddhav Thapa have also been active in winning the support of the RPP leaders.
In Koshi, which has 93 MPs, 47 people are needed for a majority to form the government. Currently, the CPN (UML) has 40 MPs, the Congress has 29 MPs, 13 MPs from the Maoist Center (including the speaker), four from the CPN (Unified Socialist) and one from the Janata Samajbadi Party.
After the Karki-led government collapsed on June 30, the Congress is trying to bring the RPP into confidence, which has become decisive in the government formation of the Koshi Province.
"The Congress leaders have been asking us for help through various channels," RPP spokesperson Mohan Shrestha said, "but we have not yet made any decision about Koshi's government."
RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden is also currently engaged in internal consultations and dialogues.
RPP has also given the responsibility of taking decisions about Koshi to Lingden.
But since they have collaborated with UML in the previous elections, they have not reached the conclusion that they will break the alliance and merge with another alliance.
Bhakti Prasad Sitaula, the leader of the RPP parliamentary party in Koshi, said that despite talks from the leaders of the alliance, a decision has not yet been reached.
"The deadline given by the provincial chief is expiring on Thursday 5 pm. That is why we are in internal discussions", he said, "We have been forming an alliance with UML for a long time. Hence, we take a decision so that the cooperation with UML will not be damaged.”
According to sources, there are two voices in the RPP regarding the new government in Koshi. Leaders including Chairman Lingden are in favor of maintaining cooperation with UML. But senior leader Pashupati Shamsher Rana is in favor of cooperating with the Congress.
The Chief of Koshi Province, Parashuram Khapung on July 2 issued a four days' time to form a government with the support from two or more parties.
The time given by Khapung will expire at 5 pm on June 6.
Given this political scenario, the Congress has already started exercising to get a majority of 47 people for the government. If the RPP lends its support, the coalition will have 52 MPs.
