Possible Koirala-Khadka-Gautam nexus!

The main opposition UML appears to have taken the unceremonious ouster of former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai by his own long time associate the incumbent Prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala in a very detestable manner. The fashion in which the UML has opted to go in for a fierce street agitation immediately after the formation of this new congress led government under Koirala gives inkling into the uncomfortable relations that the former perhaps enjoys with the latter. Bluntly speaking, the present Nepal Bundh sponsored by the UML clearly shows that the party would go in for a relentless struggle with the new establishment in Kathmandu in its bid to destabilise the same for obvious reasons. It is in general practice that as and when a new government takes shape and assumes office, the parties in opposition normally give hundred days to the government and watch their performance. After the lapse of this Honeymoon days as it is generally called the opposition forces begin drawing the attention of the government and if the latter neglects their proposals a sort of protest programs are set into motion. However, the UML this time did not wait for a single day and very hastily announced its protest programs, which are in series. This also explains that the UML wishes to put hurdles in the functioning of the government. A section of the local intellectuals even go to the extent saying that if the Bhattarai establishment were in place the UML would have refrained from doing what it is doing at the moment. There is a grain of truth in their assertions as the "my dear" relations which the Congress leader Bhattarai enjoyed with the entire UML conglomerate since the 1990s interim years is not at all a hidden fact. It is this Bhattarai-UML clandestine but yet exposed relation that has apparently annoyed the main opposition, which opted to pose threats to the one who ousted their declared chum in the congress that is Bhattarai. However, the interesting part of the whole story is that Prime minister Koirala is well aware of this nexus and hence appears prepared to face this threat coming as it does from the UML quarters. In his bid to thwart the very ulterior designs of the UML, Prime Minister Koirala is too equipped with befitting answers. The very presence of minister Khum Bahadur Khadka in the new cabinet will perhaps do the needful should the need arise. Khadka's intimacy with the firebrand ML leader Monsieur Bamdev Gautam is also not an unexposed story. To recall, once President Koirala had suggested his associates to go in on for a research in investigating the personality who had brought Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Bamdev Gautam together. At that time Koirala had dubbed the Chand-Gautam nexus as reactionary lot. However, as the luck would have it Koirala too became very close with Gautam for obvious reasons. Thus it is this Gautam factor which will perhaps save Koirala from the continued onslaughts of the UML party to him and to his government. Analysing this possibility further what could be faintly guessed at this moment is that there lies the possibility of the entire ML and the small left faction supporting Prime minister Koirala in pushing the UML threats to the government to the wall. Nonetheless, the ML and the minor left parties will ask for some concrete concessions from the government and that being Koirala's assurances on the preservation of genuine national interests plus the announcements of some relief measures to the poverty stricken Nepali masses.

Yet one more possibility could be cited. In case the Koirala government fails to remain true to his promises made in the name of the people to the ML and the minor left parties, then the entire political scenario could go upside down. Thus the impending days for Prime minister Koirala are definitely challenging and frightening as well. Challenging in the sense that he has more enemies inside his own party than outside. Prime Minister Koirala has yet to understand the mind of Bhattarai whom he ousted so unceremoniously. Perhaps it would take pretty long time to forget this sad episode. Then comes the formidable Deuba's exhibited numerical strength. Later follows the corruption part, which will soon take place, as some world famous corrupt ministers were housed in the ministry. Finally come the joint efforts of the UML in collaboration with Bhattarai surely to be assisted by Deuba for the ouster of the present Prime minister.

Much depends on how Prime minister Koirala retaliates to the UML opposition. In addition to that much will also depend on how Koirala faces the April 6 threat posed by the Maoists' declared Armed Nepal Closure. This is also possible that if Prime minister Koirala takes a hardened posture against the Maoists' closure or for that matter in the much publicised talks with them, the entire strength of the opposition, albeit, in an informal manner will converge and that would be totally against the present establishment that is Koirala's government. At this stage it is tentatively a guess work only. How the things unfold in the coming weeks will be surely interesting.

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