"A small team will be sworn in on Monday," Bhattarai told reporters at his residence in Sanepa on Sunday evening. [break]
Bhattarai held a meeting with his aides till late evening on Sunday to discuss distribution of the ministerial portfolios. According to sources, an agreement has been reached to give 11 ministries to the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). The new cabinet is also likely to get four deputy prime ministers.
Sources say Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar from the MPRF-Democratic, Upendra Yadav from MPRF-Nepal, JP Gupta MPRF-Republican and one from the Maoist party are the strong contenders for the deputy prime minister.
The Maoist party is likely to send its Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha into the cabinet as the deputy prime minister as his stint in the previous government was very brief.
Similarly, there is a tussle between Upendra Yadav and Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar over who gets to become senior in the cabinet. Yadav may send another party leader into the cabinet if he doesn´t get a position senior to Gachchhadar in the cabinet.
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