Koirala coterie smashed

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 13 April: The constituent assembly has smashed the coterie with which Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala ruled Nepal from his sick room at his official Baluwatar residence since April 2006 when he was swept to power through street protests and foreign help.
He rarely attended office or held meetings at Singha Durbar because he was sick most of the time for nearly two years.
Koirala can continue only with Maoist concurrence with CPN-UML out of government. Maoists will first claim important ministerial portfolios like home, foreign and finance Koirala was reluctant to part with even if the present government continues.
Nephew and confidante Dr Shehkar Koirala was defeated by Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar who defected a monarchist who defected to Madesh Janaadhikar Forum.
Dr Shekhar attributed his defeat to the communal factor.
“Votes were cast on ethnic lines in four areas of the constituency,” he said ignoring the split in the party on between republicans and monarchists.
Gachedhar, a former member of the kitchen cabinet, is also a Tharu.
He won from another constituency in Sunsari. Forum’s Upendra Yadav and Maoist Deb Gurung have also been elected form two constituencies.
Koirala and Congress hold on Sunsari and Morang have been smashed by Forum and Maoists.
Controversial Home Minister Krishna Prasad Shitaula was also defeated in Jhapa.
Relative Amod Upadhaya survived in Morang; people rejected daughter Sujata in his own Sunsari constituency.
But nephew and son of BP Koirala is heading for victory in a Nawal Parasi constituency.
Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat who has reportedly won defeating his Maoist rival by 70 votes; he was Koirala’s main link in foreign capitals.
Maoists accuse Mahat for stealing 100 ballots and have stopped the announcement of official result.
Congress royalist and party general secretary KB Gurung was also been elected.
Jhalanath Khanal after his victory said: “The election result is unnatural for both for Maoists and CPN-UML. I am saddened.”
Health Minister Girirajmani Pokhrel of Janamorcha Nepal was elected with Maoist support from a constituency in the tarai.
Maoists stopped what many thought would be a strong showing by regional parties in the south; Maoists gained at the cost of Congress and UML.
Maoists reigned in them id and far-West.
Sher Bahadur Deuba is also heading to be elected from two constituencies in Kanchanpur and Dandeldhura.
The former prime minister and now Koirala’s clear successor stopped a Maoist onslaught in both the districts in the far-West.
RPP Chairman Pashupati SJP Rana is being defeated by Maoists in his constituency in Sindhupalchown—a constituency he held from the panchayat days.
Madhav Kumar Nepal is also facing defeat in another constituency in Rautahat; Bharat Mohan Adhikari is also facing defeat in east Nepal.
Of the 119 seats declared, Maoists have bagged 63 seats while Congress and CPN-UML have shared 20 seats each; Forum has collected nine seats in the latest vote count.
Maoists are heading to gain a clear majority; they need 301 in the 601-member assembly. In direct elections, direct elections are being held for 240 seats and indirect elections are being held for 335 seats.
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