KATHMANDU, JULY 11 :  The Nepali Congress directed its legislators on Thursday to vote against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in a floor test slated for Friday, media reports said.

The top whip of the party, Ramesh Lekhak, sent out a notification asking Nepali Congress members to vote against the resolution that the Prime Minister will bring to secure the House of Representatives’ confidence, according to The Kathmandu Post.

Dahal chose to use the floor test in accordance with Article 100(2) of the constitution, which states that “if the political party that the Prime Minister represents is divided or a political party in coalition government withdraws its support, the Prime Minister shall table a motion in the House of Representatives for a vote of confidence within thirty days.”

The CPN-UML withdrew its support to the government on Wednesday after abandoning its coalition with the CPN (Maoist Centre) and joining up with the Nepali Congress to create a new government, the report said.

The Ashok Rai-led Janata Samajbadi Party and the Nagarik Unmukti Party have also withdrawn their support to the government.

It will be Dahal’s fifth floor test since being appointed prime minister on December 25, 2022, due to frequent coalition changes.
According to the report, the Prime Minister could lose the trust vote this time since the CPN-UML, whcich was the largest party in the coalition, has withdrawn its support.

On Wednesday, the UML instructed its legislators to vote against the Prime Minister during the floor test.

Meanwhile, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party has chosen not to support Prime Minister Dahal at the floor test.(UNI)