Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who has completed a year at the helm of the government, is preparing to reshuffle the cabinet. The Prime Minister is preparing to reshuffle ministers who have not performed effectively in a year and have been embroiled in serious controversies.
Discussions have also begun with the ruling party Nepali Congress for this. In addition, on Monday night, the Prime Minister also held discussions with top leaders of the Congress and JSP. According to sources close to the Prime Minister, ministers who have become controversial and have not been able to perform effectively for a year are in the 'red zone'. 'It has been a year since this government was formed. Both the Congress and the UML are committed to making the government's work more creative and delivering results,' said a source close to the Prime Minister. 'That is why the set of ministers will not change. However, preparations are being made to reshuffle ministers who have been involved in controversies, have become weak in performance and evaluation. Homework is being done for this. It could happen in 10-15 days.'
Sources close to the Prime Minister did not want to say which ministers will be changed. 'It is certain that changes will be made by both parties. The discussion with the Upendra Yadav-led JSP on the night of July 19 is also for that purpose,' said a source close to the Prime Minister, 'It has not been decided who will be removed. However, ministers who are involved in controversies and have not been able to deliver results will be removed.'
Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister on Tuesday after becoming embroiled in a controversy over bribery. Gupta, who is also a central member and MP of the UML, is embroiled in a controversy over accepting a bribe of Rs 7.8 million. Gupta resigned on the Prime Minister's instructions after an audio of him making a deal of Rs 5.3 million to stop the transfer of the then head of the Land Revenue Office, Kaski, and Rs 2.5 million to make the chairman of the Land Commission, Kaski, became public.
'It was clear that action would be taken after the question was raised. He had been questioned before. After not being satisfied with his answer, the Prime Minister called him to Baluwatar on Monday morning and asked him to resign within 24 hours,' said a Baluwatar source, 'Some media and social media outlets have raised controversies. It seems that there was a delay in questioning him. However, Baluwatar has no intention of carrying controversial individuals. Even if others come into conflict, they will be removed.
Bhagwati Neupane of Tanahun has been made the Minister of General Administration in place of Gupta.
Gupta has implicated Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari in the bribery scandal. The audio has been made public regarding transfers and appointments in bodies under the ministry.
The middleman has also claimed to have given Minister Adhikari Rs. 31 lakh. Adhikari had said in the House of Representatives meeting on Monday that he was being dragged into a controversy and was ready to face punishment if irregularities were confirmed. However, after his name came up in the controversial audio scandal, it is understood that Adhikari has also been placed in the Prime Minister's 'red zone'.
Maoist MP Lekhnath Dahal had said on Tuesday that an investigation should be conducted against Minister Adhikari. 'Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta has resigned on moral grounds. What should another minister who has been burned by him do? The investigation process should also be taken forward in this,' Dahal said in the House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday.
Gupta, who resigned as a minister on Tuesday, can be heard in the audio saying that 'Balram did not work even after taking money.'
Sources claim that Baluwatar has also increased surveillance on Damodar Bhandari, who became the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies from UML.
Sources said that Baluwatar has increased surveillance on him after information came that Bhandari had withdrawn money. Bhandari is also on the possible list of ministers to be removed. Oli is also preparing to adjust the balance of power after former President Bidya Bhandari announced her return to UML politics.
Congress sources also informed that some ministers may be reshuffled as the government has completed one year.
‘Congress and UML are discussing changing ministers in the ratio of two/three. We have heard that Congress is preparing to change some ministers except Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba,’ said a Congress source. ‘For this, the Home Minister has been in constant communication with the Prime Minister in the confidence of the President.’
After discussions till midnight on Monday, Lekhak had reached Baluwatar to meet the Prime Minister on Tuesday morning. The writer reached Baluwatar with only the PSO without taking any members of the secretariat. Despite leading the government from the Congress, Prakash Man Singh has faced opposition from within the Congress.
There is also opposition within the Congress regarding Energy Minister Deepak Khadka and Tourism Minister Badri Pandey. However, Khadka has been replaced by Shashank and Pandey by Shekhar Koirala. Even in the Congress meeting, there was criticism that his own ministers have not been able to show work in the government.
However, it is said that President Deuba is not very interested in changing ministers. According to Congress sources, there is also pressure on Deuba to make some MPs who have supported him closely ministers.
Policy to seduce Upendra
The Prime Minister and top leaders of the Congress tried to seduce JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav on Monday.
In a meeting held in Baluwatar after the cabinet meeting, the ruling party had urged Upendra to join the government and support the land-related bill.
'Even though Upendra's party has been saying that it may withdraw its support to the government, it has not formally withdrawn it yet. Instead, it participated in the discussion on Monday. "We also want them to cooperate," said a Baluwatar source, "The ordinance brought to amend the law on service delivery has been passed by the parliament. However, even when the land bill was brought instead of the ordinance, there was some difficulty in passing it. That is why discussions were held with the JSP."
The land bill will be passed only if the JSP Nepal, which has three seats in the National Assembly, supports it. That is why the ruling party has held discussions with the JSP Nepal.
'Some issues of the land bill are yet to be agreed upon. The JSP has not completely rejected our proposal,' said a leader. 'The Congress president himself has proposed that a task force be formed to discuss the controversial issues. The JSP also has no disagreement with this.'
If the land bill is agreed upon, the Congress-UML is preparing to bring Upendra Yadav into the government. JSP Nepal leader Rajkishore Yadav, who attended the meeting on Monday night, said that there was an agreement to form a task force to finalize the land bill.
'From politics, good governance, economy to the budget dispute in Madhesh, there was discussion,' Yadav told Lokantar, 'The land bill was also discussed. An agreement was reached to form a task force to resolve the disputes seen in it. Apart from this, there was no discussion on the government.'
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