10 Provincial Assembly members of Sudurpaschim, 12 of Bagmati join CPN (Unified Socialist)

KATHMANDU, September 1: A total of 10 Provincial Assembly members of Sudurpaschim and 12 of Bagmati elected from the CPN (UML) have decided to join the newly formed CPN (Unified Socialist party.

Chief of the Province Election Office Prem Raj Bhatta said that 10 members elected from the UML have verified their names for the new party after visiting the Province Election Office on Tuesday. 

Bhatta said that the Election Commission has directed not to make the names of the Province Assembly members public though the Province Election Office has the right to verify those names. 

It is said that Internal Affairs and Law Minister Purna Joshi, Social Development Minister Lal Bahadur Khadka, State Ministers Chun Kumari Chaudhary and Mana Kumari Saud, UML’s chief whip Durga Kumari Kami and former minister Maya Bhatta have chosen the CPN (Unified Socialist). Similarly, Province Assembly members Sushil Budhathoki, Amar Bahadur Saud, Kul Bir Chaudhary and Bal Bahadur Sodari have also officially registered their affiliation to the new party.

Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Dirgha Bahadur Sodari, State Minister Archana Gahatraj and Province Assembly member Tara Lama Tamang are scheduled to verify their names today as they could not do so on Tuesday for lack of some documents, Minister Purna Joshi said.

The leaders choosing the new party have argued that they backed the new political party based on ideology, policy and philosophy.

Likewise, Minister for Social Development Krishna Sharma Khanal, a member of the newly formed government led by Chief Minister Asta Laxmi, Shakya is also among the 12 to join the new party led by Madhav Kumar Nepal.

According to the Bagmati Provincial Election Commission, 12 members of the state assembly have verified themselves to join the newly formed CPN (Unified Socialist) Party. Rajendra Pandey, Munu Sigdel, Basundhara Humagain, Laxman Lamsal, Rajendraman Shrestha, Parvati Silwal, Indramaya Gurung, Madhav Poudel, Basant Manandhar, Rama Alemgar, Kusum Kumar Karki and Krishna Sharma Khanal are among the PA members choosing the new party.

As a result, the newly formed government led by Chief Minister Shakya has fallen into a minority after 12 Provincial Assembly members changed parties.

After the split of CPN (UML), the Election Commission has given the deadline of September 7 to those people’s representatives in Province and local units to choose their party.