PM Oli and Congress leader Deuba to discuss cabinet reshuffle today

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba are scheduled to meet today to discuss changes in the cabinet. While the exact time of their meeting hasn’t been fixed, sources from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat say the conversation will take place in the afternoon.

As PM Oli approaches the end of the first year in his fourth term, he has been aiming to reshuffle the cabinet by replacing underperforming ministers. However, the lack of support from coalition partner Nepali Congress has delayed the move.

Oli had already identified ministers with poor performance and shared that list with Congress in earlier talks. But after the Congress party reviewed the government’s first year and decided to keep their current ministers, the reshuffle was put on hold.

Four reasons behind the reshuffle

PM Oli, who is also the UML party chair, is considering replacing not only ministers from his own party but also those from Congress and LSP (Loktantrik Samajwadi Party). According to senior government sources, Oli will urge Deuba to reconsider Congress’s decision and support the reshuffle to improve the government’s efficiency.

A close source to the PM said, “The reshuffle depends on Congress’s decision too. Oli will finalize the matter himself. If Congress agrees, that’s fine; if not, he’ll move forward with changes soon.”

Oli has four main reasons for the reshuffle:

1. Poor performance of some ministers
2. Ministers involved in controversies
3. Pressure from coalition partners
4. Internal party conflicts, especially in UML

Oli has told his allies that removing weak ministers, including some from Congress, would benefit everyone. Meanwhile, Deuba is focused on keeping his party balanced ahead of its upcoming general convention. But Oli isn’t happy with how Deuba is trying to negotiate government positions based on internal Congress politics.

An official from the PM’s office said, “The reshuffle is certain. The number of ministers to be changed depends on today’s meeting with Deuba.”

Who might stay and who might go?

According to senior sources, the following ministers may remain in their posts:

• Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel
• Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung
• Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak
• Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba

Some ministries may be reshuffled internally.

Although PM Oli is dissatisfied with Deputy PM and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh’s performance, internal politics within Congress has made it hard to replace him. However, Oli plans to discuss it with Deuba.

From the UML side, Oli is not fully committed to all current ministers. With former President Bidya Devi Bhandari possibly returning to politics, power struggles within UML have increased. Oli is reportedly keeping some ministers close to Bhandari in the “red zone,” but their names haven’t been disclosed.

Defense Minister Manbir Rai’s tenure may also end after a year, and Oli might take over the ministry himself.

Changes in LSP and other parties

LSP Chairman Mahantha Thakur has already sent a letter to PM Oli requesting the removal of Labor Minister Sharatsingh Bhandari and the appointment of Sarbendra Nath Shukla in his place. LSP sources confirmed they had officially submitted this request days ago.

Sources say Shukla is expected to take over the same ministry. “The name from LSP is already with the PM. He’s just waiting to make all changes at once,” said an official.

Land Management Minister Balaram Adhikari, who was caught in land and bribery scandals, is likely to be removed. Industry Minister Damodar Bhandari may also be replaced due to internal criticisms.

The PM’s team said that some experienced and some fresh faces may be brought in to replace them.

Earlier, PM Oli had already replaced Federal Affairs Minister Rajkumar Gupta (involved in a bribery case) with UML’s Bhagwati Neupane. Likewise, Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai had been replaced by Raghuji Pant.