Over a month and a half since government formation, Chief Minister Kedar Karki of Koshi Province is still struggling to give a full shape to his Cabinet.

Karki rebelled against the party leadership to become the chief minister with the CPN-UML’s backing on October 14 while the Congress had officially stood in favour of CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Indra Bahadur Angbo.

The UML quit the Koshi government on November 4 after Karki expanded his Cabinet, inducting ministers from the Maoist Centre and the CPN (Unified Socialist). The UML wanted a Congress-UML administration in the province, without the Maoists and the Unified Socialists.

Karki, who later reconciled with the Congress-Maoist central coalition, acted as directed by the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led party establishment. As his government can fall anytime if the UML pulls the plug and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) doesn’t extend its support, he is working to bring the pro-monarch and pro-Hindu party on board.

“We want to turn our government into a consensus one. Attempts are being made to bring both the UML and the RPP to the government,” Shamsher Rai, an internal affairs minister in the government and also a Congress leader, told the Post. “The Cabinet will be expanded once we reach some agreement.”

The UML has rejected the offer saying it will not be a part of the government with the Maoist Centre and the Unified Socialist. The RPP too is not willing to join the government in Koshi. It want’s a larger power sharing deal at the central level, not just in Koshi.

Ensuring RPP’s support to his government to make sure it continues to command full majority in case the UML withdraws its support is the first priority for Karki. The ruling alliance is ready to offer the Speaker's position to the RPP in exchange for his support to the government. In case the party refuses, it wants the continuation of the UML’s support by offering the Speaker’s position. Despite quitting the government, the UML hasn’t withdrawn its support to the Karki government.

Rewati Raman Bhandari, the UML’s chief whip in the provincial assembly, said they have categorically refused the call to join the government but they want the support for the Speaker’s position. “Being the largest party in the provincial assembly, it is our rightful demand,” he told the Post.

Currently, the UML holds the deputy Speaker’s position. It has to give up the position as per the constitution to claim the Speaker’s post. Article 182 (2) of the statute says there would be one woman out of provincial Speaker and deputy Speaker, and the two must be from different parties.

With 40 seats, the UML is the largest party in the assembly. Congress has 29 seats, the CPN (Maoist Centre) 12, the RPP six, the Unified Socialist four, and the Janata Samajbadi Party has one seat.

Karki was appointed chief minister as per Article 168(5) of the constitution under which a provincial assembly member can claim the chief ministerial position by producing the support of the majority members. This is the last option for the government formation.

The ruling alliance has 47 seats in the 93-strong provincial assembly. However, it will not be possible to prove the number in the floor test given the deputy Speaker abstains from the voting process and the senior most member from the alliance needs to chair the assembly. The previous Uddhav Thapa government fell due to the same reason. Karki doesn’t want to repeat the mistake.

“Despite other differences, all the parties have a common understanding that we don’t want snap polls,” Rai said. “We don’t have a problem offering the Speaker's position to the UML if there is some agreement to this effect.”