Nepal Communist Party lawmaker Yogesh Bhattarai is likely to chair the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee.  

Party sources said Bhattarai was set to lead one of the powerful committees of federal parliament with the backing of Prime Minister and NCP Co-chairman KP Sharma Oli.

Prime Minister Oli had promised voters during his election campaign to give ministerial berth to youth leader Bhattarai, but had failed to accommodate the latter in the Cabinet. The prime minister is said to be offering Bhattarai the PHSC chairman’s position as an alternative.

Sources said Bhattarai had also told the party leadership that he would accept nothing less that the role of the PHSC head.

Bhattarai meanwhile said that he had not discussed the issue with the party leadership, but would make his decision after consulting with the top leaders of the party.

The committee may be formed on Monday.

NCP leaders said the nominations had been finalised for Parliament to endorse the recommended names.

The previous PHSC was led by senior Nepali Congress leader Kul Bahadur Gurung.

Besides Bhattarai, former finance minister Surendra Pande was also said to be the contender for the post of PHSC chairman.

The PHSC nominees include several young lawmakers, including Amrita Thapa, Niru Pal, Ashok Kumar Mandal, Parbat Gurung and Pushpa Bhusal Gautam.

Their role will be instrumental in the appointment process of ambassadors and officials of constitutional bodies.

The committee will have 15 members, 12 from the Lower House and three from the Upper House.