In an apparent bid to o consolidate his grip over the 22-party alliance government, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday appointed Sujata Koirala, daughter of Nepali Congress president G P Koirala, as Deputy Prime Minister. Sujata Koirala was administered oath of office in the presence of President Rambaran Yadav at the President’s office. Sujata will continue to be in charge of the Foreign Ministry.

In appointing Sujata as the Deputy PM, Nepal ignored objections being put forward by the parliamentary part as well as the Central Committee of the Congress — the party that Sujata belongs to. Apparently, G P Koirala had given the Prime Minister a stern warning and a deadline saying the non-conformity might cost him his chair.

The decision to appoint Sujata as Deputy PM comes amid media reports that Maoist leader Prachanda, who is on a visit to China, had offered the post of Prime Minister to Koirala in a bid to dislodge the current government.

Most Congress parliamentarians, Central Committee members and office bearers, boycotted the swearing-in ceremony turning down the request from the senior Koirala.

The Nepali Congress president had reportedly been pressuring Nepal to appoint his daughter the deputy premier so that the grip of the family on the party continues.

Nepali Congress working president Sushil Koirala and Dr R S Mahat, a Central Committee member, met Koirala to review his stand and not to set an example of “nepotism”.

Prachanda told India not to doubt intentions: Report

Kathmandu: Maoist leader Prachanda had conveyed to India through a former Nepali Congress lawmaker that it should not doubt his intentions as his visit was not aimed at harming its interests, a media report claimed on Monday.

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