The Nepali Congress (NC) is all set to have 12 ministries in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government, including the much-talked about Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The NC, the key coalition partner in the government, so far has sent two ministers to the government—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak.

According to sources, the NC will oversee a dozen ministries while the CPN (Maoist Centre) will get eight portfolios. “There has been an agreement on a new equation following the Madhes-based parties’ decision to stay out of the government and inclusion of other fringe parties,” NC leader Ram Hari Khatiwada told the Post.

Apart from two ministers from the NC, the Cabinet currently has three ministers from the Maoist Centre, two from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and one from the CPN (Samyukta). According to NC sources, Shekhar Koirala is likely to be offered the Foreign Ministry. Koirala was conspicuous by his absence on August 4 when NC’s Nidhi and Lekhak took the oath of office and secrecy. It is said that Koirala chose to stay out of the government after he was asked to handle Health Ministry instead of the earlier pledged Foreign Ministry.

Sources said that some names have already been confirmed as ministers.

Arjun Narasingh KC, who had earlier refused to join the government, is likely to join the Cabinet as minister for urban development.

Among other names, party Treasurer Sita Devi Yadav and leaders Prakash Sharan Mahat, Bal Krishna Khand, Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, Formullah Monsoor, Rajan KC, Kamala Panta and Ram Hari Khatiwada are front runners.