How long Khadka will support Deuba?

February 14, 2001
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Kathmandu: The unilateral manner in which Prime Minister Koirala expanded his cabinet apparently has boomeranged.

Indications to this effect were soon made available by some of the ministers included in the cabinet by Prime Minister Koirala who either summarily rejected to take oath of office at the Royal Palace or dilly-dallied in presenting themselves at the palace ceremony.

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While Deuba camp’s key-man, Khum Bahadur Khadka outrightly rejected the ministerial berth on the pretext that the Prime Minister did not consult his long time associate K.P.Bhattarai prior to finalizing the names of the ministerial list as agreed between him and the Prime Minister, Dr. Ram Saran Mahat too did not attend the palace ceremony on grounds of his sudden “stomach” problems.

This apart, one minister Palten Gurung expressed his utter dismay over the announcement of his name in the ministry and very reluctantly took the oath of office.

These three separate incidents are loaded with meaning if analysed carefully.

Add to this the bulk of the dissidents belonging to the Deuba camp exhibited their honesty and togetherness with their present leader by not only rejecting the lucrativeministerial offers from the Prime Minister but also managed “mental torture” for Koirala by successfully seducing some of the would be ministers not to attend the palace ceremony.

This means that the Deuba camp still remained determined to signal Koirala that unless he quits from one of the posts, their crusade would continue sine die.

However, Dr. R.S. Mahat only yesterday joined the cabinet, which might have consoled Prime Minister Koirala a little bit. This notwithstanding, the non-participation of minister designate Khadka in the cabinet continues to irritate Koirala because it is this Khadka who is still considered to pocket some half a dozen NC lawmakers who obey Khadka orders like anything.

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It is not Khadka but his numerical strength and the clout which he possesses among a section of the NC parliamentarians that is creating problems for Koirala, said a NC activist close to Khadka.

“‘He will not yield to Koirala pressures or for that matter lucrative offers this time come what may”‘, added the same source.

It is perhaps this strength of Khadka that is being tactfully utilized by Deuba should a crisis grip the party of the sort of the fresh one related to the no confidence motion pushed against the party prime minister and president.

Intellectuals say that Khadka as a person in the past has exhibited a character like a chameleon and hence could push his legs towards the other camp should some one come with offers that takes proper care of Khadka’s latent and internal desires.

The fact is that whosoever bags the sympathy of Khadka in one’s favor could afford to fight with his or rival easily. Whether Deuba succeeds in keeping him all along or Koirala will seduce the key man in his favor will in essence determine the course of congress politics in the days ahead.

In the meantime, the opposition parties demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Koirala have reportedly talked with Deuba and sought his support in relieving Koirala from the chair. Deuba has not yet decided whether he should join the opposition movement at this juncture or to support the opposition moves at a time when they would push the no confidence motion against the Prime Minister.

Unquestionably, if Deuba so decides and supports the anti-Koirala movement, the fate of the Prime Minister becomes predictable. In that case what will happen to the party? Definitely it will split. Will Deuba go to that extent? Perhaps not.