Maoist Minister to resign after nominations for FPTP are filed

KATHMANDU, Oct 18: Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi has said that the Maoist Ministers will stay in the government until the nominations for the first-past-the-post candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives and Province Assemblies elections are filed.

Speaking during an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Wednesday, Minister Shahi said, “We have no interest to remain in the cabinet without any portfolio. But we won’t resign from the cabinet unless the upcoming elections are guaranteed.”

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday taking away the portfolios of Maoist ministers and assigning various portfolios to newly appointed Rastriya Prajatantra Party Ministers. Maoist Center had various key ministries including Foreign, Home, Energy, Health, Urban Development, General Administration, Supply, Women, Children and Social Welfare and Livestock Development. Deuba’s move comes in the wake of the ruling coalition partner Maoist Centers’ decision to form electoral alliance with the main opposition party CN-UML.

He also warned Deuba not to think about deferring polls and said they would keep pressuring the government for timely elections. “We have heard reports that PM Deuba is internally preparing to defer polls. But we won’t let this happen.”

“We believe that the prime minister won’t take such moves. We hope he will conduct the elections on the announced dates,” he added.