Amid a divergence of views over the fate of the ruling alliance, top leaders of the Nepali Congress appear confident that their coalition with the Maoist Centre will continue till the completion of the House of Representatives’ five-year tenure.

Lately, the ruling alliance led by the Congress and the Maoist Centre looks fractured with the prime minister’s party claiming the National Assembly chair, which the Congress hopes will go to one of its members.

The January Assembly election results in Koshi Province and some of the proposals tabled and endorsed by the Congress Mahasamiti meeting and the petition signed for the restoration of the Hindu state by a party faction have given rise to distrust between the key ruling partners.

The rift between the largest and third largest parties in the House widened after the Maoists decided to field their own candidate for the Assembly chair.

“We forged an alliance ahead of the elections and formed the government, which will complete its full term,” said Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba in Chitwan on Friday. The coalition would continue until Parliament’s five-year tenure is over, he added.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, whose CPN ( Unified Socialist) is also a part of the ruling coalition, heard Deuba’s statement and none countered it.

After the Standing Committee of the Maoist Centre decided to field the party’s candidate for the Assembly chair, misunderstanding grew within the ruling coalition. Congress leaders have claimed that after a “gentleman’s accord” between the Nepali Congress and the Maoist Centre, their senior leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula decided to contest a National Assembly seat from Koshi and won it. There was also an understanding to forward a common candidate, possibly Sitaula, for the Assembly chair on the alliance’s behalf.

After the Maoist Centre announced to field its own candidate for the top post, no meeting between the ruling partners has convened to discuss and address the misunderstanding. By early next week, top leaders of the alliance will sit and discuss the issue, a Congress office bearer said.

There is also a proposal from the prime minister to remove Cabinet ministers accused of financial irregularities and those who are not performing well, the office bearer said. “The issue of Cabinet reshuffle and National Assembly chair will be sorted out together.”

Congress Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, who is also the deputy prime minister and minister for defence, is coordinating with Prime Minister Dahal, and some back-channel discussions are going on, the office bearer added.

“Some CPN-UML leaders are trying to fish in the troubled waters after some issues surfaced between us. The Maoists have full right to announce their candidate and some UML and Maoist leaders might be in contact as the UML is hell-bent on breaking up this alliance. But that will not make a difference," said the Congress leader.

Khadka seems confident that the ruling coalition will continue for the remaining nearly four years. Inaugurating the Karnali International Film Festival on Friday, Khadka said there were concerns that the ruling alliance may meet with an accident.

“That’s not going to happen,” the minister said, claiming that there would be a common candidate from the ruling alliance for the Assembly chair. “This coalition was not formed to betray the people. We went to the public promising to serve the nation and bring about development and prosperity.”

Devendra Poudel, a secretary of the Maoist Centre, said he sees no immediate threat against the alliance. “Our decision to field our own candidate has created political gossip but leaders of the ruling alliance will sit soon and resolve the issue between them,” he said.