Five ministers and four state ministers were appointed on Sunday despite discontent within the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre), taking the total number of ministers to 14.

This is the third time Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expanded his Cabinet, exhausting the quota of Cabinet ministers from its party. As part of a power-sharing deal, the Nepali Congress takes a total of 13 ministries and the Maoist Centre 8, with the rest of the portfolios to be shared among fringe parties and other coalition partners. The NC has yet to name its remaining ministers.

Maoist leader Surendra Karki (Ram Karki), who was vying for the Foreign Ministry, got the charge of the Information and Communications Minister while PM’s close aide and party Chief Whip Hitraj Pande was appointed the minister for federal affairs and local development. Janardan Sharma is the energy minister.

After influential Madhesi leader Prabhu Sah refused to become the law minister, Dahal picked Ajay Shankar Nayak for the office. Commenting on the appointments, Sah criticised Dahal’s selection claiming that it was influenced by factionalism.

Sources claimed that many other influential Madhesi leaders including Ashok Jaiswal and Satya Narayan Bhagat had objected to Prabhu Sah becoming a minister again. Many had even cited his closeness with Baburam Bhattarai, who quit the party last year to form his own Naya Shakti Nepal.

Dhani Ram Poudel, who is close to senior leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, was appointed a minister without portfolio as the NC claimed the Education Ministry set aside for Poudel.

Sources said Shrestha has strong demand for the Education Ministry arguing that former education minister Giriraj Mani Pokhrel’s unfinished business would get continuity from Poudel.

However, the Maoist party has already told the largest party that it would accept the Health Ministry along with the Ministry for Drinking Water and Sanitation instead.

The party wants Poudel to look after the Health Ministry and will assign former minister Prem Bahadur Singh to the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the five ministers. Minister Karki was clad in daura suruwal and dhaka topi while the four other ministers wore suits and black caps.

At the PMO in Singha Durbar, Dahal later administered the oath to the four state ministers from his party.

They included Shree Prasad Jabegu (Federal Affairs and Local Development), Satya Narayan Bhagat (Energy), Radhika Tamang (Agriculture Development) and Dhan Maya BK (without portfolio).