Kathmandu, March 30

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal could not expand his Cabinet today with partners of the 10-party ruling alliance engaging in last-minute bargaining over Cabinet portfolios.

The PM is expected to expand his Cabinet tomorrow.

A knowledgeable source said the PM could not expand his Cabinet today as some of the constituents had rival claims on some Cabinet portfolios and they did not provide the names of their ministers.

The PM had asked the alliance partners to provide the names of their candidates to be inducted into his Cabinet.

Some partners of the alliance did not send the names as they were not happy with the allocation of Cabinet portfolios.

The ruling alliance has tentatively agreed to give eight ministries to the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives, five to the CPN-Maoist Centre, two each to Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal and CPN (Unified Socialist), and one each to Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party-Nepal and Aam Janata Party. Rastriya Janamorcha is not joining the government.

Aam Janata Party Chair Prabhu Sah said he was expecting a call from the PM, but he did not receive one.

"Maybe the major parties of the alliance have not settled allocation of portfolios," Sah said.

The PM who wanted to expand his Cabinet immediately after the confidence vote could not do so as dividing the Cabinet portfolios among alliance partners proved challenging due to rival claims on ministries.

The PM is at present holding more than a dozen ministries. As per the constitutional provision there cannot be more than 25 ministers in the Cabinet, including the PM.

This provision was incorporated in the constitution to avoid recurrence of past experience when the PM would form jumbo Cabinet to please all the coalition partners.