Minister for Irrigation Sanjaya Kumar Gautam has said that CPN (Maoist Centre) has no right to stay in the current coalition government on moral grounds.

Minister Gautam, who is also the president of Nepali Congress-Bardiya Chapter, accused the Maoist Centre of having dual character. He said Nepali Congress that believes in democratic values does not need to worry from the unity of leftist forces.

Minister Gautam made such remarks at a time when the country’s political landscape has been rocked by the announcement of leftist alliance between—CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre) and Babu Ram Bhattarai’s Naya Shakti—for the upcoming elections for House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly. The parties on October 3 announced a broad leftist alliance with a merger plan.

Addressing tea reception at the party office in Gulariya on Thursday, the minister said that democratic parties should come together and produce majority in the upcoming polls.