After the Nepali Congress’ decision on Sunday to take the initiative to form a new government under its leadership, CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday said there was an understanding with the Congress to lead the government by turns and that is still intact.

With both the Congress and the Maoist Centre competing to lead the new government, the power struggle has become more complicated since President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday issued a seven-day deadline to parties to form a new government. The issue could get knottier if the Congress refuses to hand over premiership to Dahal, who is desperate to clinch the top job, for which he appears prepared even to defect to the CPN-UML camp.

“We had an agreement to run the government by turns when we first decided to make a coalition,” Dahal said at a press meet organised by the Chitwan branch of the Press Centre Nepal, the media wing of the CPN (Maoist Centre). “And the agreement is still intact.”

According to Maoist Centre leaders, Dahal had asked Prime Minister Deuba on Saturday to support his prime ministerial bid, reminding him of the same gentlemen’s agreement.

He also told reporters in Chitwan that he has thrice met Rabi Lamichhane, the chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Dahal also dismissed the possibility of a non-political President.

However, Deuba is not ready to hand over the prime ministership. According to party insiders, Deuba is insistent on becoming prime minister of the new government as it would be the first time he would be leading a post-election government as a leader of the largest party. The insiders also said that Deuba is not ready to wait for two and a half years.

Some Maoist leaders have also questioned the President’s seven-day deadline, as the chances of forging an agreement in the ruling coalition is slim in the given time.

The President has called the parties to come up with a proposal to form a new government as per the Article 76(2) of the constitution as no party got a majority in the November 20 polls. But the President also seems to be asking the leader of the largest party to form a government under its leadership, as per the Article 76(3), which the Maoist Centre leaders said could be challenged in the court of law.

While talking to the reporters in Chitwan on Monday, Dahal, who has been making desperate moves to lock in the prime minister for the first half of the five-year term, said the issue of a new prime minister would be finalised through discussions within the ruling coalition.

According to sources at the Maoist Centre, Dahal has told Congress Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka in clear terms that only the prime minister’s position for him will save the ruling coalition.

“Congress has also decided to hold discussions within the coalition,” Dahal said.

UML leaders have been keenly watching the developments and reaching out to both the Maoist Centre and the Congress. The UML wants to share the government with the Congress but if not, it has also proposed that Dahal lead the new government while the two parties share all major appointments.

“Discussions have just started after the President’s call. We have not thought of any alliance beyond the existing coalition,” said Shakti Basnet, deputy general secretary of the Maoist Centre. “We are hopeful that the disputes in the coalition will soon be settled.”

Basnet was responding to a question of whether the party could join hands with the UML if it failed to get prime ministership from Congress.

The Maoist Centre is in close contact with the UML, and the two sets of leaders are discussing ways to form a new government.

“Other parties of the coalition are also in touch with the UML. It doesn’t mean we have come to any decision,” Dahal said in Chitwan. He said discussions were aimed at keeping the existing coalition intact.

According to Subas Chandra Nembang, the UML vice-chair, the party is in touch with all political parties represented in the House of Representatives including the Maoist Centre.