Nepal

After garnering the highest number of House of Representatives seats in the election, a new debate has started within the Nepali Congress party on who should be the next prime ministerial candidate.

What could complicate matters is the fact that there are several aspiring candidates. including Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ram Chandra Poudel, Prakash man Singh, Gagan Thapa. Plus, the ruling alliance has other prime minister hopefuls too, including CPN-MC leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and CPN-US leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Meanwhile, two Nepali Congress leaders, Dr Shekhar Koirala and Ram Chandra Poudel have offered their views on the issue. 

Koirala said that the existing political alliance will form a joint government under the NC leadership. Speaking at a press meet at his residence in Biratnagar-9, the leader claimed the CPN-MC, CPN-US and other political parties would participate in the new government which, he said, would be headed by NC.

According to Koirala, the matter about whether electing a party parliamentary leader unanimously or by voting will be decided after consulting with the party president and leaders.

Meanwhile, NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel has repeated his wish to be the new prime minister.

At a press meet organised by the Chitwan Nepal Press Union, Poudel said: "The coalition partners have a majority. There will be a coalition government. Discussion is being held with other political parties as well. I am an obvious candidate for Prime Minister".

However, Poudel stated that the internal consultation within his party is yet to be done in this regard. "The party President has also taken my candidacy in a comfortable way. He has given word for consultation within the party".

Leader Poudel noted that they would govern the country by mixing up the experience of the old generation and the energy of the young generation.

Koirala won the recent election to the House of Representatives (HoR) from Morang-6  and Poudel won the HoR seat from Tanahun-1.