Kathmandu – The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML have begun internal discussions on removing Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar from her post.

A meeting of the NC office bearers started Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. at party president Sher Bahadur Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha. According to leaders present, the meeting was heavily focused on the agenda of dismissing the Deputy Speaker.

NC has also instructed its lawmakers to remain at the parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

“This is not a formal parliamentary party meeting, but lawmakers have been told to be present today,” one MP said, adding that “the issue is clearly related to removing the Deputy Speaker.”

On Monday, NC and UML chief whips had also held talks on the same matter during an informal discussion of the parliamentary party.

UML, for its part, has called an emergency parliamentary party meeting for today.

“I was informed by staff that a meeting has been scheduled, but the agenda was not specified. I am in Palpa at the moment,” UML lawmaker Thakur Gaire told NepalWatch.

Prime Minister and UML Chair KP Sharma Oli is also scheduled to hold a separate round of talks with UML lawmakers later today.

Both NC and UML are preparing to seek a two-thirds majority to remove the Deputy Speaker on grounds of conduct. Rana Magar was dragged into controversy earlier when a letter she had written to the US Embassy requesting rescheduling of her visa interview became public. At the time, NC and UML lawmakers had publicly demanded that she resign on moral grounds. A complaint against her had also been filed at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives, almost exactly one year ago.

Since then, both NC and UML have revived their bid to remove her, this time through a two-thirds majority in the House.

However, the two parties alone do not command the required numbers. Together, Congress (88 seats) and UML (78 seats) hold 166 seats. Even with the support of JSP (7), LSP (4), and Janamat Party (6), they fall short of the 184 seats needed. To cross the threshold, they are seeking backing from the CPN (Unified Socialist), which has 10 lawmakers.

1. Unified Socialist leaders, however, say they have not yet been approached. “We have not held talks with anyone on this matter. Besides, the ruling alliance does not necessarily need our votes to reach two-thirds,” party spokesperson Prakash Jwala said.

The Deputy Speaker also holds a seat in the Constitutional Council, where ruling and opposition forces are equally represented. The vacancy of the Deputy Speaker post has long been linked with the deadlock in making appointments, including the Chief Election Commissioner.

NC leaders argue that since the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee was already given to UML, the Deputy Speaker post should go to NC if Rana Magar is removed.

Rana Magar, a lawmaker from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was elected Deputy Speaker when UML, Maoist Centre, and RSP were all part of the governing coalition.