It had been seven months since Lokendra Bahadur Chand became Prime Minister with the support of UML after removing Sher Bahadur Deuba. The UML was criticized for re-appointing the five who had been ousted by the people's movement as Prime Ministers. Due to internal disputes within the RPP, Chand had also misused state resources to protect his Prime Ministerial post and had managed to maintain power for seven months. His biggest challenge was to please his own party, the RPP.

The RPP, which won 20 seats in the 2051 mid-term elections, had appointed 17 of its MPs as Deputy Speakers and ministers. However, Chand continued to feel threatened by his own party. At that time, there was even sarcastic talk that he was carrying a resignation in his pocket, saying he would topple the government. After the UML made Chand the Prime Minister, the Congress put forward RPP Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa. In other words, the gap between the two forces, the Congress and the UML (the Left Front including the ML during the movement), which had suffered 30 years of imprisonment for overthrowing the Panchayat, had deepened, and the former Panchayats had become dearer to them than fellow travelers. One used to support Chand and the other used to support Thapa. Since the RPP was the decisive force based on the parliamentary seats, the work of the Congress and the UML was pleasing to the RPP. The hostility between the Congress and the UML was increasing.

Just as Sher Bahadur, who became Prime Minister in 2052 Bhadau, had caused many incidents in the name of pleasing the MPs, the challenge posed by Deuba remained for Chand. In the process of facing the challenge, Chand had reorganized the cabinet for the sixth time. Deuba had formed a 48-member cabinet during his tenure. When Chand was preparing to reorganize the cabinet for the seventh time and increase it to 52 members, the Congress filed a no-confidence motion against him on October 20, 2001. After the RPP MPs who were still ministers supported him, the Congress brought a no-confidence motion against Chand on the condition that Surya Bahadur Thapa be made the Prime Minister.

The no-confidence motion was also signed by the ministers of state Moti Prasad Pahadi, Palten Gurung, and Naresh Bahadur Bhandari, who had been included in the cabinet the previous day. They, who had agreed to become ministers, had decided to side with the Congress without taking the oath. Chand tried to sustain the government even though he had made the cabinet to 52 members, but the no-confidence motion stopped him. It was not clear which minister and MP would side with whom at which time. The incidents of having to buy MPs and ministers, lock them up in hotels, arrange for alcohol and beauty products, kidnap them, and send them abroad for treatment to maintain power had brought disrepute to the parliamentary system. At that time, such acts were rampant. Two prime ministers had been elected since 2009, amid similar distortions for two years.

MPs were locked up in hotels

After a no-confidence motion was filed against Chand, the Congress and independent MPs were locked up in hotels under the watch of plainclothes police. During that time, independent MPs Moti Prasad Pahadi and Naresh Bahadur Singh, who had not taken oath even though Chand had made them ministers, were locked up in hotels.

MP Singh, however, responded that he stayed in the hotel because the ruling party could tempt him and exert other influence. Other Congress MPs also used to gather there. MP Sharad Singh Bhandari and Congress Parliamentary Party Whip Padmanarayan Chaudhary were deployed at the hotel to supervise them.

The MPs were not allowed to come out and talk. Plainclothes police were monitoring them. While Kantipur was talking to MP Singh, MP Bhandari led him inside the hotel. Bhandari had assured that he would send Whip Chaudhary to talk to Kantipur correspondent Bishwamani Pokharel, who had reached the hotel. Chaudhary was sent out, but security personnel did not allow him to talk to journalist Pokharel. The suspicious MPs were kept in the hotel with food and accommodation arrangements. The no-confidence motion against Chand was signed by 81 Congress and 5 independent MPs. The Congress feared that those MPs would fall for the lure and side with Chand. Even before this, when Deuba was the Prime Minister, the government was protected by unethical measures such as buying MPs, keeping them in hotels, sending them abroad, arranging for alcohol and beauty products, and kidnapping them.

The Council of Ministers itself decided to please the MPs and even gave them the facility of importing vehicles at customs duty free. Deuba had faced no-confidence twice by increasing the number of MPs through various tricks and managed to keep the government in power for 18 months. On the other hand, when a no-confidence motion was moved three times to remove Deuba, former UML Deputy General Secretary Bamdev Gautam also faced opposition from within the party, saying that he was adopting the Deuba style. But Gautam, who played an active role in removing Deuba and making Chand the Prime Minister, got the opportunity to become the Home Minister as a reward. UML Chairman Manmohan Adhikari, General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Home Minister Gautam were given the responsibility to thwart the no-confidence motion brought by the Congress against Chand.

A written proposal was also submitted to the UML central committee meeting against Gautam, who was accused of buying MPs and financial manipulation. But the alleged mistakes he made after becoming the home minister were kept secret. The party had given him the responsibility of making the no-confidence motion against Chand a failure. After UML won a majority in the local elections held in Jestha 2054, Chairman Manmohan himself praised Gautam.

UML proposal to form a single government of the RPP

The UML had put forward a proposal to form a single government of the RPP after the government it supported was about to fall. The UML put forward such a proposal after learning that the Congress had assured to topple the Chand government and make RPP Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa the prime minister. The UML proposed to form a single government with the support of the Congress, saying that Chand was better than Thapa becoming the prime minister. As per the decision of the UML Standing Committee meeting, General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal had sent a written proposal stating that his party would support the RPP if it formed a single government.

No-confidence motion against Chand passed

Chand was removed from the post of Prime Minister due to the no-confidence motion filed by the Congress. In the vote held in the House of Representatives on 18 Asoj 2054, 107 votes were cast in favor of the no-confidence motion and 94 votes were cast against it. 14 RPP MPs voted in favor of the motion on the condition that RPP Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa be made Prime Minister. Only 5 RPP MPs signed in favor of Chand.

When the no-confidence motion was voted, only Padmasundar Lawati, Ramkrishna Acharya, Prem Bahadur Bhandari and Rajiv Parajuli supported Chand. Chand was appointed Prime Minister on 27 Falgun 2053. The no-confidence motion was signed by 81 members of the Congress, 14 members of the RPP, 3 members of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, 2 members of the CPN (Masal), independent member Moti Prasad, and member of the NEMKIPA who joined the Congress.

When the voting was going on in the parliament, the RPP members were sitting on the ruling party's bench. But they voted in favor of the no-confidence motion. The UML members teased the RPP members who were sitting with them on the ruling party's bench, asking them where to vote. Because, the UML members were confused when they saw the RPP members who voted against the government also sitting on the ruling party's bench.

RPP members are rats that make holes in boats

While responding to the allegations made by the no-confidence movers, the incident of Prime Minister Chand comparing the members of his own party to rats that make holes in boats still comes up from time to time. Chand, targeting party chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa and other MPs, had said, ‘When a ship sinks, rats are the first to jump into the water, but they do not survive.’ He added, ‘If those rats get a chance to board another ship, they make holes in it and let water in, sinking the ship.’

Chand, who appeared very emotional, gave a reference to his own party MPs as a ‘metaphor’ of rats, which was very popular at the time. He had sarcastically attacked his own party chairman Thapa, targeting the behavior of rats who boarded another ship when his ship was sinking. Chand, who had created an image of a good leader, was said to have hurt party chairman Thapa by using sarcastic and harsh words. He had said, ‘Will he become the greatest democrat just for helping BP Koirala, who returned home after the Emergency began in India?’ Can a person who speaks out against BP be a democrat? Chand had said, targeting Thapa, ‘Is there no corruption even when corruption is institutionalized and money is distributed in politics?’ Chand was very angry with Thapa. He had said that Thapa had made a decision that was not in the constitution, citing the unauthorized dissolution of the party’s central committee. He did not say much about the opposition.

Rather, he had expressed dissatisfaction with former Prime Minister Deuba. Chand had said that even though he had helped Deuba a lot to become the Prime Minister, he had denied his existence. At that time, he had repeated the statement that he had denied his existence, complaining that he did not know what Deuba was doing. Chand had said, adding that some ministers did not take the oath, a person like a minister/MP who has to protect the country's reputation cannot be locked up . Rather, I felt that even if there is no oath, even if the government falls, he should go .

While responding to the allegations made against him in the House of Representatives, he had said, “Even a fool would not announce that someone has been appointed as a minister . After first consulting and announcing the name of the MP who said he would become a minister, he would say that he would not take the oath . When asked where a person who had become a minister was, he would say, ‘I am with former Prime Minister Deuba’ . He must have said this because our friends have a good relationship with him .’ He had said that he had received faxes of resignations of ministers he had appointed, but he was very embarrassed because he could not identify the fax.

‘I would have forwarded the resignation as soon as I received it, it would not work, it would not be useful, it would not be a vegetable or a broth,’ was his argument . He also satirized Kantipur Daily. Without naming Kantipur, he quoted one of the most circulated newspapers and said, ‘It has published the news of a political understanding between the Nepali Congress and the Prime Minister.’ That newspaper has been writing to me since the beginning. There was a meeting with the opposition leader, but no understanding was reached. If there had been, he (Koirala) would have been present here.’ But Kantipur Daily did not publish the news as Chand had said. However, he pointed to the publisher of Kantipur in a sarcastic manner and said, ‘He is a landlord from Bardiya. He was also the director of customs. He is also my boss.’

The unbridled and unparliamentary activities carried out for the change of power during the two years from 052 Bhadra to 054 Asoj are still being discussed critically. The conduct of ministers and MPs, the role played by party leaders, and the exploitation of state coffers to reach positions were very bad incidents at that time.

Most leaders seemed equally responsible for their bad deeds to gain power. Deuba was portrayed as the leader who introduced corruption the most. Even now, references are made to Deuba from time to time regarding these allegations. At that time, leaders such as Bamdev Gautam of UML, Khum Bahadur Khadka of Congress, Kamal Thapa of RPP and others were portrayed as leaders who introduced corruption.

Why is there bitterness between Congress and UML?

There was a lot of bitterness between the movement's colleagues, Congress and UML. The UML proposed to allow RPP to form a single government under the leadership of Chand but not to allow Congress to come to power, which could be estimated to what extent. During the discussion on the no-confidence motion against Chand in Parliament on 16 Asoj 2011, Congress and UML leaders tried to clear the RPP by throwing mud at each other. It was being interpreted that UML saw Chand and Congress saw Thapa as democrats. Congress President and parliamentary party leader Girija Prasad Koirala had accused UML of opposing constitutional monarchy by talking about republic.

Koirala had accused Chand of being a security cover for UML's anti-constitutional activities and accused him of blatantly attacking the constitution, parliamentary democracy, free electoral system and democratic institutions. After Congress received indications that Surya Bahadur Thapa would be made Prime Minister, UML Standing Committee member Khadga Prasad Oli, while defending Koirala's accusation, questioned why the no-confidence motion against Chand was being filed if democracy would be protected by the RPP no matter what.

Oli had said in Parliament, ‘The no-confidence motion is to remove UML from power at any cost. Such a motion will further increase political instability.’ Congress MP Ram Sharan Mahat had accused UML of laying the foundation for corruption by citing the incident of bringing a no-confidence motion against Sher Bahadur twice without having a majority. He had accused UML of using Sura and Sundari to gain power.

UML was particularly angry that Congress, along with RPP, toppled the nine-month-old government led by Manmohan Singh after the 2051 mid-term elections. To appease that anger, UML supported Chand and made him the Prime Minister. The series of corruptions in Parliament was increasing as part of the game of killing each other due to power interests.

The no-confidence motion against Chand was also a continuation of that. With this context, Kantipur Daily had published news on Asoj 19, 2054 under various headlines regarding the removal of Chand through a no-confidence motion. Kantipur had published news titled ‘No-confidence motion passed against the government,’ ‘Chand satirizes the rat-like nature of RPP MPs’. Kantipur had published news titled ‘Formal proposal by UML to form RPP as a single government by RPP’ on the 17th. Congress and UML had instead adopted a strategy of supporting RPP but not allowing the transformative power of 046 to become strong.