Kathmandu: In a significant political development today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has failed to secure a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives (HoR). The crucial vote, held earlier today, saw 63 lawmakers supporting the motion of confidence, while 194 voted against it. One lawmaker opted to remain neutral. This outcome marks a clear defeat for PM Dahal.
The House of Representatives, comprising 275 members, requires a majority of 138 votes for a motion of confidence to succeed. PM Dahal, who sought the vote after losing support from the CPN-UML party earlier this month, fell short with only 63 votes in his favor. His coalition partners, including the Rastriya Swatantra Party and CPN (US), contributed 21 and 10 votes respectively, in addition to his own party’s 32 votes.
During today’s session, PM Dahal presented a list of achievements before the House deliberated and voted on the motion. This follows his previous successful confidence vote in January 2023, where he garnered 268 votes.
Under Article 100(2) of the Constitution of Nepal, PM Dahal was mandated to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days of losing coalition support. His failure to secure the confidence vote now necessitates the initiation of the process to form a new government.
In response to the political realignment, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML parties had recently agreed to form a new alliance, signaling their intent to establish a national consensus government. This agreement was underscored by their respective whips directing members to vote against PM Dahal in today’s session.
President Ram Chandra Paudel is now expected to initiate consultations with political parties to form a new government in line with constitutional provisions.
This development underscores a pivotal moment in Nepal’s political landscape, setting the stage for potential shifts in governance and coalition dynamics in the days ahead.