KATHMANDU, Aug 24: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of the UML has been serving with the support of the largest party in the House of Representatives, Nepali Congress (NC), for the past 13 months. Oli became Prime Minister after a seven-point agreement was reached in Ashad 2081 (mid-June 2024) with NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba to run a coalition government on a rotating basis.
Now, Oli has proposed removing Indira Rana Magar, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, a move that has reignited internal disputes within NC. On Bhadra 2 (August 18), at the Prime Minister’s residence, Baluwatar, Oli reiterated his proposal to NC leaders.
Oli’s move came after repeated disruptions in House sessions by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and others, which left him frustrated. According to sources close to the matter, Deuba had previously resisted Oli’s attempts to remove Rana Magar.
During the latest meeting with NC leaders on Bhadra 2, Oli expressed concern that the government faced difficulties appointing members to constitutional bodies due to NC not having sufficient representation in the Constitutional Council. He argued that removing Rana Magar from the Deputy Speaker post was necessary because NC was not represented in the Council.
Oli also justified his proposal by citing allegations of human trafficking against Rana Magar, claiming it could serve as grounds for her removal. Similarly, RSP has been linking Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak to human trafficking over the visit visa issue. According to sources, the Prime Minister argued that removing Rana Magar would also send a message to Raswapa.
Paudel faction wants CWC, PP meet as rift widens in NC
Sources claim Deuba, dissatisfied with RSP and allied parties, agreed to the proposal. Following that, he instructed party officials to collect signatures to remove Rana Magar from the Deputy Speaker position. NC lawmakers began signing at the parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar, while UML lawmakers were called to their own parliamentary office to sign.
To secure a two-thirds majority for her removal, NC and UML sought discussions with smaller parties. However, a faction within NC opposed the move. Lawmakers led by Shekhar Koirala stood against removing Rana Magar and instructed their members not to sign blank papers. Calling the proposal untimely, Koirala began dialogues with opposition parties, including the main opposition Maoist Centre, putting Deuba in a difficult position.
Koirala, who maintains regular communication with the Maoist Centre, has also opened dialogue with other opposition parties. Meanwhile, Congress General Secretaries Bishwoprakash Sharma and Gagan Kumar Thapa, visiting Rupandehi-3 ahead of the by-election on Kartik 17 (November 2), expressed dissent over the removal proposal.
Addressing a public event, General Secretary Thapa emphasized that having a majority does not justify arbitrary decisions: “Winning elections, getting votes, and forming a government is one thing. Democracy allows decisions based on numbers, but numbers alone do not justify all decisions. People must accept it; only then is it legitimate.”
Thapa also stated in the House that he had been active in the government formation mechanism since Falgun (mid-February) 2081 and had contributed from his role, though he is currently not active in that specific mechanism.
The government formation mechanism established in Kartik 2081 (November 2024) included NC Deputy Speaker Purna Bahadur Khadka, General Secretaries Thapa and Lekhak, Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba, and UML senior Vice President Ishwar Pokhrel, Vice President Bishnu Paudel, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, and Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Rimal.
With a faction of NC opposing the proposal, the two-party plan to remove Rana Magar through a two-thirds majority has stalled, putting Deuba and Prime Minister Oli in a difficult spot.
The controversy over removing the Deputy Speaker has surfaced even before internal disputes over the Bagmati Province Chief Minister were resolved, signaling a potentially deeper rift within NC. Party leaders note that while Congress embraces internal diversity, decisions are expected to be unified. One leader said, “This has created serious doubts and mistrust among leaders, which could have long-term consequences.”
Some non-establishment leaders allege that Oli is exploiting internal politics to weaken NC, using the lure of the Deputy Speaker post to set a negative precedent in Parliament. They suggest that Oli is strategically keeping NC from aligning with RSP and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
Raswapa and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, boycotting Parliament over the visit visa issue, are reportedly pushing for a “safe-landing,” seeking to end the current session and convene another in a few days. According to sources, Oli is attempting to use the issue to defame Home Minister Lekhak in Parliament.
Congress leaders consider it problematic that Lekhak, known as a disciplined and intellectual figure within the party, is being labeled a human trafficker daily in Parliament. Sources claim the visit visa controversy also arose when Oli’s attempt to appoint Nilam Dhungana as Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank was opposed by Ministers Lekhak and Rana. Leaders describe this as “losing the tiger and the goat at the same time.”
Oli had reportedly proposed removing Rana Magar during earlier meetings with NC leaders at Baluwatar, even before the visit visa allegations surfaced. Lekhak had also suggested including the breakaway CPN Unified Socialist in the government and protecting leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal, proposals that Oli reportedly rejected. Sources assert, “If the visit visa issue had not emerged, Oli would have pushed for Rana Magar’s removal at that time.”
With the issue resurfacing months later, opposition parties have united, and internal rifts in the ruling coalition have become more complex. On Friday, RSP Spokesperson Nisha Dangi criticized the slow government for acting quickly only to remove the Deputy Speaker, claiming the government has set a new standard of partiality instead of justice.
