NCP Recommends 12 Aspirants for Three Ministerial Posts in Sudurpaschim

Dhangadhi: The Nepali Communist Party (NCP), which leads the Sudurpaschim Province government, has recommended the names of 12 ministerial aspirants to the party center after failing to finalize candidates for the available positions.

A three-member task force was formed under the coordination of NCP Sudurpaschim in-charge Bhanubhakta Joshi to select the ministers. However, the task force failed to finalize the names due to the large number of provincial assembly members seeking ministerial positions.

In-charge Joshi said the task force meeting held on Thursday decided to recommend the names of the aspirants to the party center. According to him, the large number of contenders made it difficult for the task force to reach a decision. He said the provincial government would be expanded after the center finalizes the names.

According to sources, 12 names have been recommended to the center, including two from the former Unified Socialist Party, three from the Civil Liberation Party and seven from the then Maoist Center.

Prakash Rawal and Naresh Shahi have been recommended from the former Unified Socialist Party. Similarly, Khushiram Chaudhary, Kailash Chaudhary and Indira Giri have been recommended from the Nagarik Unmukti Party.

From the then Maoist Center, the recommended names are Man Bahadur Dhami, Akkal Rawal, Om Bikram Bhat, Jhapat Saud, Shiv Singh Oli, Janaki Poudel and Laxmi BK, according to sources.

Khagraj Bhatt was appointed the fifth Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province on 29 Shrawan with the support of the UML. On the same day, he appointed three UML ministers and one minister of state. He subsequently secured a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly on Wednesday.

However, the expansion of the provincial government has been delayed as the NCP has failed to finalize its ministers. After three ministers and two ministers of state are finalized by the party center, Chief Minister Bhatt is preparing to expand the provincial government.