The Nepali Congress, the main opposition party in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly and the decisive force in the changed political situation, is still undecided regarding the no-confidence motion filed against Chief Minister Dormani Paudel.

The power equation in the Bagmati Province government is uncertain, as the Nepali Congress is yet to take its official decision on whether to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion or not. The main opposition party has become a decisive force in the Bagmati Province government with the possible split of the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

The Dahal-Nepal group of the ruling party had registered the no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Paudel, an atalwart of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, on December 25. As many as 45 provincial assembly members of the faction filed the motion against Paudel. As per Article 188 (4) of the constitution, one-fourth of the total number of the assembly members may table in writing a motion of no-confidence against the chief minister.

The motion will be tabled in the upcoming seventh session of the provincial assembly scheduled for January 20.

“The no-confidence motion filed against Chief Minister Paudel will be decided by the upcoming province assembly session. The business advisory committee will fix the date and decide the motion through voting,” said Sanu Kumar Shrestha, speaker at the Bagmati province assembly.

Both Paudel and his rival faction need support of the Nepali Congress. The no-confidence motion can be foiled only if the Nepali Congress votes against it. The Dahal-Nepal group’s ambition to elect Ashta Laxmi Shakya as the chief minister by removing Paudel is not possible without the support of the main opposition party.

In the 110-member Bagmati Provincial Assembly, the Nepal Communst Party has 80 seats. But after the party’s split, 46 assembly members are with the Dahal-Nepal faction while 36 are with the Oli faction. The Nepali Congress has 22 members, Bibeksheel Sajha has three while Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party have two members each. One is an independent member.

Both the rival factions of the Nepal Communist Party have been cajoling the Nepali Congress into lending them its support. But the Congress is still undecided on its next move.

The Congress leaders are of the opinion that the party is undecided, as the ruling Nepal Communist Party is yet to be split officially.

“The Nepal Communist Party has not split officially. As a result, we’re having a technical problem in making a decision,” said Nima Lama, the secretary at the Nepali Congress parliamentary party. According to political analysts, the provincial assembly can be dissolved if the no-trust motion is approved but the Congress does not support any group to form a new government.

Indra Bahadur Baniya, the parliamentary party leader of Nepali Congress, said that the party has been holding talks with both the Oli and Dahal-Nepal factions.

“The Congress won’t take immediate decisions. The party’s central committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday. The parliamentary party meeting will be held as per the decision and the instruction of the party’s central committee,” said Baniya. He, however, asserted that the party would take a decision before the provincial assembly session.

The Dahal-Nepal group has assigned its province in-charge Narayan Dahal, assistant in-charge Ashta Laxmi Shakya and provincial assembly member Shalikram Jammakattel to hold talks with the Nepali Congress and other small parties to garner support to pass the no-trust motion and form a new government. Similarly, CM Paudel and the chief whip of the Oli group Keshavraj Pandey are busy holding discussions with other parties for the latter’s support in the changed political situation in the country.