It has been three decades since the Mahakali Treaty was passed. But it is still being discussed. In this parliamentary election, the candidates were criticized for their role in getting the treaty passed. Especially, the issue of minority and majority in the main opposition party UML to get the Mahakali Treaty passed made this issue very complicated at that time.

After the ratification of the treaty was stalled for a long time due to disputes within the UML, the treaty was passed on the basis of minority and majority. The treaty was passed by the votes of 228 people participating in the joint meeting of both houses. When the treaty was presented to the joint house for ratification, 260 MPs were allowed to vote. But 26 MPs from UML did not participate in the vote. 8 people, including three from UML, voted against the treaty. The UML MPs had violated the whip. The ruling Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, along with other parties, had lobbied saying that if the treaty was passed, investment in the country would increase, electricity trade would be facilitated, and confidence in the international arena would increase.

After a long effort to resolve the dispute within the UML, the Mahakali Treaty was passed by two-thirds of the parliamentarians, thus using Article 26 of the 2047 Constitution for the first time. After a long effort to get all UML MPs to participate in ratifying the treaty failed, the then Minister for Water Resources Pashupati Shumsher Rana presented the treaty to the House for a decision at 9:45 pm on Asoj 4, 2053. Although the UML issued a whip to its MPs to ratify the treaty, it could not be fully implemented.

The whip was issued at the UML Central Committee meeting after a decision was made to ratify the treaty by a majority of one vote. However, UML MPs Hiranyalal Shrestha, Mohan Chandra Adhikari and Padmaratna Tuladhar voted against the ratification of the treaty. Similarly, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party's Narayanman Bijukchhe, Ashakaji Vasukala, Bhakta Bahadur Rokaya, Masal's Pari Thapa and Nawaraj Subadi voted against the ratification of the treaty.

UML MPs who did not participate in the vote were Sahana Pradhan, Bamdev Gautam, Radhakrishna Mainali, CP Mainali, Siddhilal Shrestha, Keshavalal Shrestha, Trilochan Sharma Dhakal, Hemraj Rai, Tanka Rai, Kashiram Tharu, Bangchhe Sherpa, Yamlal Kandel, Dev Bahadur Poudel Chhetri, Dal Bahadur Rana, Govinda Adhikari, Balaram Upadhyay, Mahendra Thapa, Kamal Koirala, Kamalraj Shrestha, Ganga Chaudhary, Binod Shah, Nilbahadur Tilija, Ambika Sawa, Dhanharka Rai, Pushparaj Pokharel and Surendra Fombo.

Nominated MPs of the National Assembly Rabindra Chakraborty, Sharada Pokharel, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma and Krishnalal Thakali did not participate in the ratification of the treaty. UML President Manmohan Adhikari was not present due to ill health, while Radhakrishna Mainali, although he was seen in the House, did not participate in the vote. The treaty was presented to the House for ratification on Bhadra 26, 2053. Despite efforts to reach a consensus for a week after its presentation, the UML was unable to reach a unanimous decision. Speaker Ramchandra Poudel presented the treaty to the House for a decision on Asoj 4 at 8:53 pm.

It took half an hour to complete the voting for the treaty ratification. RPP's Rajeshwor Devkota had informed that he had not voted. UML MP Purushottam Poudel voted with one minute left before the voting time. When the UML MPs did not rise from their chairs to vote, Speaker Poudel reminded them to vote if they had missed it. Voting began at 9.17 and the treaty was announced to have been ratified at 9.45.

On the day the treaty was passed, political parties and leaders, including small leftist parties and former Prime Minister Kirtinidhi Bista, protested on the streets. The police arrested some leaders during the protest. Small parties, including leaders of leftist parties, had also announced a movement against the treaty.

Before the treaty was passed, UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal had said that India had agreed to interpret the treaty in accordance with Nepal's national interests and that there should be a national consensus when forming the DPR report and the Mahakali Commission. General Secretary Nepal had said that the Mahakali would basically be a border river, there would be equal rights to water, and various discussions would be held between Nepal and India on the issue of buying and selling electricity. Stating that UML disagreed with the thinking of extremists and right-wingers, he had said that nationalism would not be maintained by simply considering the country as a country of the brave and the brave. He cited the incident where the Panchayat allowed the Indian army to be stationed in Tinker in 1965, saying that India was going to build Tanakpur unilaterally. Calling those who opposed the UML as sick nationalists, he stressed on the effective implementation of the treaty.

UML MP Prem Singh Dhami claimed that General Secretary Nepal voted in favor of the treaty reluctantly. After the treaty was passed, UML Standing Committee member KP Sharma Oli left with tight security. He responded that he did not know why his party's MPs did not vote in favor of the treaty. After the treaty was approved, Water Resources Minister Rana expressed happiness that a national consensus had been established.

Some UML MPs said that they were ready to face punishment for voting against the party whip. UML MP Hiranyalal Shrestha, who voted against the treaty, said that he rose above the party and stood against the treaty. After the ratification of the treaty, Prime Minister Deuba thanked all the parties. He called the ratification of the treaty a success for all. RPP Chairman and MP Surya Bahadur Thapa said that the ratification of the treaty would help in overall economic development. Speaker Poudel said that the ratification of the treaty with national consensus had sent a positive message.

Discord in UML

On the morning of 2053 Asoj 4, the day the treaty was ratified, the UML Central Committee meeting decided to ratify the treaty by a majority. The Central Committee meeting lasted for 6 hours. The decision to ratify the treaty was made by one vote in the meeting chaired by General Secretary Nepal. In the decision taken through voting, 17 people voted in favor of ratification against 16 people.

After the Central Committee meeting, MPs and cadres gathered at Singha Durbar, the office of the leader of the main opposition party, Manmohan Adhikari. Outside the office of the official, the cadres raised slogans against General Secretary Nepal and Standing Committee member Oli. The cadres had also locked the door. But UML whip Rajendra Pandey, MPs Birod Khatiwada and Krishnagopal Shrestha guarded the door. UML leaders Jhalanath, General Secretary Nepal, Radhakrishna, CP, Oli and 25 other leaders were detained for almost an hour.

UML cadres raised slogans of traitor against Oli. Ashtalakshi Shakya and Rajendra Shrestha remained neutral in the central committee meeting. A secret ballot was held when 17/17 people participated in the open voting. One vote of the opposition was invalidated in the secret ballot. Amrit Kumar Bohara, Keshav Badal and Jitendra Dev, who were initially against the treaty, decided to change camps and vote in favor. Ishwar Pokharel, who was against the treaty, was called to Kathmandu from Delhi to vote.

UML MP Gautam had warned that he would not accept the decision at the UML parliamentary party meeting held to approve the decision of the central committee meeting. There was a lot of commotion in the meeting for 10 minutes. MPs sitting in the last chair in the parliamentary party meeting even tried to lift their chairs and attack MP Modnath Prasrit.

MP Tuladhar informed reporters that the chair attack had occurred because Prasrit had made personal insults to MP Gautam in the meeting. Prasrit had said that he had a different opinion against the treaty because Gautam had been removed from the post of Deputy General Secretary. There was a dispute over that. UML had removed Gautam from the post of Deputy General Secretary some time ago. Prasrit had said that he was in favor of passing the treaty, saying that communists should not get emotional. Manmohan Adhikari was not present at the Parliament meeting to ratify the treaty due to illness.