CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, while addressing a gathering at his birthplace in Kaski on Wednesday, said he would likely take over the country’s helm, hinting that he could be the next prime minister.

“I don’t have many more years [for active politics]. I will lead the country, if your blessings, love and good wishes worked,” Dahal said, addressing a function at Nagdanda in Annapurna Rural Municipality.

Dahal seems desperate to become prime minister for a third time. He had even been showing his desperation for premiership before the polls.

With the Election Commission having presented its report on the election results to President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Thursday morning, political parties have intensified intra- and inter-party discussions to form a new government.

Speaking at the same function, Dahal said that a coalition government would be formed within a month.

Dahal has been working hard to garner support of at least 60 members of the House of Representatives, including those from his own party and 10 from the CPN (Unified Socialist), 12 from the Janata Samajbadi Party, six from the Janamat Party, four from the Nagarik Unmukti Party (including one independent close to the party), and four independent lawmakers including Prabhu Sah and Amresh Kumar Singh who are preparing to register a new party. Dahal’s own party has just 32 seats in the House of Representatives.

“We are still the kingmakers although we could not win the expected number of seats,” Dahal had told reporters at Lalitpur on Sunday. “We can easily secure around 60 seats.”

However, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also the Congress president, has not responded to Dahal’s meaneuverings to become prime minister in the first half of the five-year term.

Despite his party’s poor performance in the elections, Dahal is encouraged to claim the premiership also because some Congress leaders themselves are encouraging him to claim the post, said Congress insiders.

Given the internal conflict within the Congress party, some leaders from the dissident faction don’t want to see Deuba as the new prime minister. Senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Gagan Thapa of Nepali Congress also are claimants for the top post.

Leaders of the CPN (Unified Socialist) are also in favour of Dahal becoming the prime minister for the first half of the five-year term, but leaders from the Congress establishment (Deuba faction) don’t want Dahal to lead the government first.

“The three leaders—Deuba, Dahal and Madhav Nepal—had agreed ahead of elections to lead the government by turns. Two-year terms each for Dahal and Deuba, and one year for Nepal,” said Vijay Poudel, deputy general secretary of the CPN (Unified Socialist). “But, I don’t think Deuba will abide by this agreement.”

Dahal sent his confidant Dev Gurung, who is also party general secretary, to Balkot to discuss a power-sharing deal with UML chair KP Sharma Oli. Earlier, Oli had sent Raghubir Mahaseth and Mahesh Basnet, separately, to Khumaltar to meet Dahal with his proposal to discuss a power-sharing deal.

“Although it doesn’t seem logical and ethical for a distant third party [Maoist Centre] to claim premiership, and the Congress also unwilling to cede the top post [to Dahal], our party chair is working hard to claim the post,” said one of the deputy general secretaries of the Maoist Centre, asking not to be named. “It’s obvious. Dahal is employing all his abilities to clinch the top job.”

Earlier, when party spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara ‘deliberately’ informed the media that the party was open to discussing power-sharing beyond the ruling coalition, Dahal had to rebut it the next day after Deuba telephoned him.

However, Dahal is in constant touch with second-rung leaders of the UML and he has been sending his trusted leaders to meet Oli. He is also well aware of the backdoor negotiations by Deuba to form a government with the support of the UML as the latter reportedly offered to support a Congress-led government if Deuba broke the present coalition.

“Actually, our general secretary had met the UML chair after they invited him for a meeting,” said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, senior vice-chair of Maoist Centre, who is in favour of a left unity. “But, I don’t know what transpired at the meeting.”

Since the Maoist Centre is the only party that could be lured by the post of prime minister, Oli has been trying his luck ever since he knew that the Maoist party would emerge as the third-largest party.

Oli has reportedly proposed Dahal to become prime minister for the first phase of the five-year term, but Dahal is weighing his options since he feels more comfortable to become prime minister with the support of the existing ruling coalition led by the Congress.

“But, Dahal will do whatever it takes to become the next prime minister,” said the deputy general secretary. “It seems there was some tacit understanding with Deuba to let Dahal become prime minister for the first half of the five-year term. So, he would try his best to make Deuba fulfil his promise.”