Ruling Communist Party left with a simple majority losing 2/3rd status in HoR

KATHMANDU: The Samajwadi Party Nepal (Socialist Party Nepal) has officially pulled out of the government after a meeting earlier today. In the central committee meeting with its top leaders, a decision was taken to withdraw its support to the government. There are questions as to what the next course of action for the newly established party would be with a fraction of the seats in the House of Representatives (HoR).  

Top representatives of the party to the ruling NCP government Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Upendra Yadav resigned along with the Minister of Urban Development Mohammed Ishtiyaq Raya. The main reason for the pullout is being said to be the amendment to the constitution sought by the Samajwadi Party.  

DPM Yadav said that the lack of clarity and imperfection in the constitution had to be amended and had produced a proposal that was rejected by the Prime Minister. DPM Yadav then resigned in protest as said by senior leader and Vice-Chairman of the Samajwadi Party Rajendra Shrestha.  

DPM Yadav was also miffed with the recent reorganization of the Council of Ministers which removed many state ministers from this party. In the 22 months that the party was part of the ruling government, they were not given a space in decision making as well as receiving timely information on the activities undertaken by the government. These various factors led DPM Yadav to resign and his party to withdraw support from the government.  

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has now been reduced to a simple majority in the HoR. With a total of 275 seats in the HoR, for a 2/3rd majority, 183 seats are required whereas the NCP now has only 174. Previously including the Samajwadi Party, the ruling party had a total of 191 seats.  

The NCP is now the single largest party with a simple majority in the government and no longer has a 2/3rd majority.