On Friday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expanded his Cabinet after a long delay, but some key ministries still remain vacant.

As per the agreement in the ruling alliance, the Nepali Congress, which has a lion's share in Dahal’s Cabinet, should have recommended eight ministers, but due to the differences and counterclaims of three different factions, the party is yet to send the names of four ministerial candidates to the prime minister.

The Congress leaders said there had been no development to appoint a new batch of ministers from the party.

Claims and counterclaims made by the Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior leader Shekhar Koirala and a new camp that is emerging in the party under general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma have complicated the nominations from the party.

Koirala, who leads the camp that keeps checks on the activities of Deuba, has recommended Vice-president Dhanraj Gurung and Dig Bahadur Limbu from his camp. Three other leaders, joint general secretaries Badri Pandey and Jeevan Pariyar and Teju Lal Chaudhary, want an additional Cabinet seat for the Shekhar camp.

As per the agreement, the Congress has been allotted eight Cabinet ministers, and four—all from the establishment faction—have been sworn in.

After Deuba failed to give the rival camp three seats, the Koirala faction refused to give its list of ministers. Koirala said there has been no understanding with Deuba and he sticks to his earlier claim of three ministers for his camp.

The two general secretaries have recommended Pradip Poudel for a ministerial role. When Thapa put forth the recommendation, together with Sharma, there was confusion in the Koirala camp as well as within the party. “From the Congress quota, Deuba wants to send two ministers from his own camp," said Koirala.

“It’s the party president who decides but our claim for three positions is natural,” Koirala added.

The Congress’ work execution committee had decided that the party would pick ministers on the basis of inclusiveness, provincial representation, contribution to the party and merit. “Until our demand is addressed, we will not participate in the government,” a leader close to Koirala said. “The party president should respect the criteria set by the party itself.”

The general secretary duo wants to send Poudel to the Cabinet as the health and population minister. That does not look easy as there are four other aspirants within the Deuba camp.

Lawmakers Binod Chaudhary, NP Saud, Ram Hari Khatiwada, and Mohan Basnet are the other aspirants from the Deuba camp. Both Chaudhary and Saud eye the foreign affairs portfolio, while Khatiwada and Basnet want to lead the health ministry, according to Congress insiders.

Poudel admitted that his name was pushed by the general secretaries and he awaited Deuba’s nod. “Both the secretary generals have recommended my name … but I have not heard from the party president,” he said.

Poudel said that it would take another three to four days for the party to recommend the remaining ministers.

The Congress will get the foreign affairs; law, justice, and parliamentary affairs; water supply; forest and environment; and youth and sports ministries, leaders involved in inter-party negotiations say.

Some leaders close to Deuba said that the party president has to decide the matter as he enjoys a majority in the central working committee and the parliamentary committee as well. “I wonder why Deuba is not taking firm and fast decisions,” Nainsingh Mahar, a central committee member, said.

Deuba seems to have played a more accommodative role in the party this time. One such major decision is his support to Ramchandra Paudel in his election as the country’s President. Paudel and Deuba long maintained a bitter rivalry but Paudel changed tack by not challenging Deuba as he contested the party presidency a second time. After the November elections, Paudel supported Deuba as the leader of the parliamentary party.

Deuba loyals also say he did not give ministerial positions to those who supported him during the general convention, a move seen as Deuba leaving more room for the rival camp. Senior leaders Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, and Shashanka Koirala did not become ministers this time.

“Deuba did not accommodate other senior leaders too for Cabinet positions. That will ultimately benefit the rival camp, especially Shekhar Koirala’s,” Mahar added.