KATHMANDU, Nov 27: The concept of federalism adopted by the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 BS, was implemented in the year 2074 BS. In 2074 BS, federalism came into effect after the elections to three levels (local, provincial and federal). Governments were formed at the local level, all the seven provinces and the union.
During the five years of the provincial assemblies, 14 chief ministers (CMs) were appointed in the seven provinces. Three each in Province 1 and Bagmati Province, two each in Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province and Karnali Province and one each in Madhes Province and Sudurpaschim Province.
Leaders who get the opportunity to become chief ministers of the provinces are also seen as future prime ministers of the country. A leader who succeeds in being the Chief Minister of a province has the chance of becoming the Prime Minister of the country. An example of this is Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. He was the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014. His party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), went to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with Modi's 'Gujarat model' as an election issue. At that time, the BJP contested the elections by putting forward Modi as the Prime Minister.
In Nepal, too, five years have passed since the implementation of federalism. Elections to the new House of Representatives and provincial assemblies were held on November 20. These elections were favorable for only seven of the 14 people who were elected as the CMs of different provinces in these five years. Three incumbent CMs were not even a candidate in these elections. Two former chief ministers did not want to be candidates while two were defeated in the elections.
3 CMs did not get tickets
The CM who was lucky to lead the government of Sudurpaschim Province for five years is Trilochan Bhatta. Even when Bhatta of the CPN (Maoist Center) was elected as a candidate, there was no hope of him becoming a Chief Minister. In the far west, Bhatt was lucky enough to become the Chief Minister after the Left Alliance won a majority in the elections five years ago. His abilities were questioned. Apart from that, no charges were brought against him personally during this period. Instead, members of his secretariat and other ministers of the provincial government were accused of being involved in buying and selling schemes. Five years later, in the elections held on November 20, Chief Minister Bhatta wanted to be a direct candidate from Doti as a member of the House of Representatives. However, he was deprived of being a candidate after Doti fell to the CPN (United Socialist) in the division of seats among the ruling coalition parties. The Maoist Center placed Bhatta at number two in the initial shortlist for the proportional representation of the House of Representatives. Later Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked Bhatta to contest from Doti Provincial Assembly (B), say Maoist sources. Then Bhatt was preparing for the same. But the night before nomination registration, Doti (B) ticket was received by Chief Minister Bhatta's personal secretary, Shiva Singh Wali. It is alleged that Maoist Sudurpaschim Province in-charge Khaga Raj Bhatta and President Hari Ram Chaudhary gave the ticket to his personal secretary Wali instead of Chief Minister Bhatta.
Khaga Raj was a candidate for the future Chief Minister from Dadeldhura (A). According to Maoist sources, Khaga Raj made such a move because he would not be able to become the Chief Minister if Chief Minister Bhatta is re-elected to the provincial assembly. The story of Kul Prasad KC, the incumbent Chief Minister of Lumbini Province from the Maoist center is almost similar to Bhatta's. He was also barred from being a candidate in the election. KC, who had won as a candidate from Rolpa (A) this time, wanted to contest the election from Rolpa (B). His house is also in Triveni Rural Municipality of Rolpa (B).
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This time, KC wanted to fight back in his home region after party chairman Dahal's former secretary Jog Bahadur Mahara decided to contest from Rolpa (A). But the internal power equation within the party did not support him. KC, who was first close to leader Ram Bahadur Thapa, is recently close to Krishna Bahadur Mahara. According to sources, Chairman Dahal wanted to make his closest Politburo member Dipendra Bahadur Pun a candidate in Rolpa (B). After the clash of power between KC and Pun, the constituency was given to the Nepali Congress of the ruling coalition. In this constituency, NC’s Province President Amar Singh was made a candidate again. Chief Minister KC thus did not get a ticket. Dipendra Bahadur, a member of the Politburo, ran as a rebel candidate there and won the election. Similarly, Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel, the incumbent Chief Minister of Gandaki Province from the Congress, could not contest the election this time due to the power equation within the party. In the 14th general convention of the Congress, he won the central membership from the Shekhar Koirala group and wanted to be a candidate for the Member of the House of Representatives election from Nawalparasi-1(Bardaghat Susta East). He was previously elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly from (A) of this region.
After it was confirmed that the former general secretary of the Nepali Congress, Shashank Koirala would be a candidate for the House of Representatives election from Nawalparasi-1 (Bardaghat Susta East), Chief Minister Pokharel proposed to the party leadership to place his name in the proportional list for members of the House of Representatives. His proposal was not accepted. The party leadership offered him to contest the election as a member of the provincial assembly from the same area. Sources close to him say he rejected the offer.
Those who did not want to be a candidate
Dormani Poudel and Astalaxmi Shakya, who were chief ministers of Bagmati Province from the UML before the party split, did not want to be candidates this time. Shakya was elected from Kathmandu 8 (A) to become the Chief Minister in the 2074 election. But she was left behind in the factional fight within the UML. Poudel became the first Chief Minister of Bagmati Province.
At that time, Shakya was associated with the Madhav Kumar Nepal led faction within the party. For this reason, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli made Dormani Poudel, who was elected from Makwanpur 1 (B), the Chief Minister. He resigned as Chief Minister in 2078. After that, Shakya was appointed as the Chief Minister. She resigned after she could not get a vote of confidence due to the split in the UML. This time, former Chief Minister Poudel was speculated to become a candidate for a member of the House of Representatives from Makwanpur-2. But Poudel, who is 76 years old, announced that he will not be a candidate saying that 'even the third generation is ready and able to lead the country'.
Shakya, who was unable to become the first Chief Minister of Bagmati Province due to factionalism within the UML, was proposed for the post of Chief Minister by UML Chairman Oli to prevent Shakya from joining the CPN (Unified Socialist) later. Poudel resigned from the Chief Ministership, opening the way for Shakya to become the Chief Minister. On August 18, 2021, Shakya was appointed as the Chief Minister. She resigned on October 27 after she failed to get the vote of confidence following a split in the UML. Since then, Rajendra Prasad Pandey, vice-chairman of the Unified Socialist, has been the chief minister. This time, UML wanted to make Shakya a candidate for the member of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-8. But she refused.
Former CMs Pokharel and Rai defeated
Former CM of Lumbini Province and UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and former Chief Minister of Province 1 Sher Dhan Rai who were trying their luck in the House of Representatives in the last elections were defeated.
Pokharel, who was speculated as the future chairman of the UML and the Prime Minister, became a candidate from Dang 2. Pokharel lost to Rekha Sharma of the Maoist Center by a margin of 193 votes. Pokharel was the chief minister of the Lumbini Province government from 2074 to 2078. He was accused of doing activities against parliamentary norms to protect the Chief Minister. Rai, the former Chief Minister of Province 1, who became a candidate for the Member of the House of Representatives from Bhojpur, was defeated by Sudan Kirati of the Maoist Center. Rai, who became the Chief Minister in 2074, resigned in 2078. At that time, Rai resigned as Chief Minister to prevent Bhim Prasad Acharya, who was in the Madhav Nepal Group, from joining the Unified Socialist. After that, Acharya, who became the Chief Minister, also resigned after failing to get the vote of confidence due to the party split.
Seven former and incumbent CMs won elections
The Chief Minister of Province 1 Rajendra Kumar Rai has been elected as a member of the Province Assembly and the Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Rajendra Prasad Pandey has been elected as a member of the House of Representatives. Both are leaders of the Unified Socialist.
Rai was elected as a member of the provincial assembly from Bhojpur (A). He defeated UML's Hari Bahadur Rai by nearly 4,000 votes. He is also in the race for the chief ministership in the provincial government that will be formed now. Pandey, the Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, has been elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Dhading-1. He defeated UML's Bhumi Prasad Tripathi by a margin of about 8,000 votes.
The incumbent Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, Lal Babu Raut has also been elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly. Janata Samajwadi Party leader Raut was elected from Parsa Constituency 1 (B).
Similarly, former chief minister of Gandaki Province, Prithvi Subba Gurung, wanted to be a candidate for the province assembly member to become the chief minister again. But he was forced to contest the election as a candidate for the member of the House of Representatives when he was not chosen by UML Chairman Oli in the province. Due to Oli's desire to make Khaga Raj Adhikari the Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, Gurung became a candidate from Lamjung in the House of Representatives election and won the election. He defeated General Secretary of Maoist Center Dev Gurung.
The way has been opened for the incumbent Chief Minister of Karnali Province Jeevan Bahadur Shahi to become the Chief Minister again. He was elected as a member of the province assembly from Humla (B) with the support of the ruling coalition with the plan of becoming the chief minister from the Congress. He defeated UML's Chhaka Bahadur Lama.
Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, the leader of the Maoist Center who became the Chief Minister of the Karnali province government for almost four years before Chief Minister Shahi, has been elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Kalikot. He defeated UML's Nagendra Shahi by more than 7,000 votes.
Former Chief Minister of Province 1, Bhim Prasad Acharya has also won as a member of the House of Representatives from Sunsari 2.
