Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is preparing to reshuffle his Cabinet to bring the Nagarik Unmukti Party on board the government.

Ranjita Shrestha, president of the party, said Prime Minister Dahal has promised to allocate a ministerial berth to her party.

“I had a conversation with the Prime Minister Dahal. He said he will reshuffle the Cabinet to include us,” said Shrestha. “He has promised to allocate the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation to our party.”

Currently, Hit Bahadur Tamang of the CPN (Maoist Centre), which is led by the prime minister, leads the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. According to sources, the prime minister is considering recalling Tamang and handing over the portfolio to Nagarik Unmukti. Sudan Kirati of the Maoist Centre was leading the ministry ahead of the changes in the coalition in March.

Nagarik Unmukti chair Shrestha and her husband, Reshamlal Chaudhary, have a longstanding dispute over whether to support the ruling alliance. While Shrestha backs the ruling alliance, Reshamlal is for joining hands with the opposition camp led by the main opposition Nepali Congress.

Reshamlal holds the upper hand over Shrestha in the Sudurpashim provincial assembly, with five out of seven provincial assembly members supporting him.

Assembly members from the newly emerged party were sharply divided over whether to join the Dahal-led coalition or support the Congress-led alliance when the provincial government was formed in Sudurpaschim.

The party has four seats in the Federal Parliament.

Shrestha earlier served as minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives in the Dahal government.