By Our Reporter  Although leaders of all political parties in the ruling coalition have been claiming that the new government will be formed by the ruling coalition parties. However, they are unable to name their new prime minister. While a faction in the Nepali Congress has been claiming that there is no alternative to Sher Bahadur Deuba to lead the new government, Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the CPN (Maoist Centre) is also bargaining for the top executive post. Dahal has been reportedly arguing that he should be given a chance to lead the government for at least two and a half years as he made sacrifices to make Deuba the Prime Minister a year ago. But Deuba has not given a concrete answer to him. He has already sent his men to meet CPN-UML chair KP Oli and leaders of other parties. If Dahal wants to become the new prime minister at any cost, he can join the UML-led coalition which can prove the majority. If the lawmakers of the UML, Maoist Centre, JSP-N and RPP come together, they can show a simple majority of 138 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives. While Dahal is bargaining for the post of PM, Sher Bahadur Deuba too has indirectly threatened Dahal that NC and UML can forge an alliance to form the government. The UML has already sent a message to NC leaders that it would back the NC-led government. If the UML and NC come together, Dahal will be without any position and power, and he wants to avoid such a situation. Even the NC officially decided that it was open to the new government by allying with any party. While Dahal and Deuba are bargaining for the post of the PM, Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist) has also demanded he be given a chance to lead the government for at least a year or his party should be offered the post of president. No matter who demands what position, NC wants to keep both the PM and President with it at least for two and a half years.   Only NC hold election to pick PP leader Gagan Thapa challenges Deuba Unlike other parties, Nepali Congress went for a poll to elect its new parliamentary party leader. Youth leader and party general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa challenged Prime Minister and president of the Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba in the election. Although Thapa lost the election by garnering only 25 votes, he dared to emerge as a powerful figure in the party. Moreover, all youth leaders including another general secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma and leader Pradip Paudel came together in the PP leader election. Deuba and Thapa filed their nominations simultaneously at the office of the party’s Parliamentary Party at Singha Durbar on Tuesday afternoon. In the election of the PP leader held Wednesday morning, Deuba got 64 votes. Party senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel proposed Deuba’s name for the post seconded by party leader Purna Bahadur Khadka. Likewise, party general secretary Thapa’s name was proposed by leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala and supported by vice president Dhanraj Gurung, general secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma and leader Pradip Paudel. Although Dr. Koirala and Ram Chandra Paudel were also willing to contest the election of the PP leader, Dr. Koirala backed Thapa’s candidacy and Paudel supported Deuba at the last moment. Dr. Koirala leads the rival faction in the party and he agreed to support Thapa after holding several rounds of talks to have a single candidate from his faction. In response, Thapa announced that Koirala will be the candidate in the next general convention of the party. Nepali Congress has 89 members in the House of Representatives and one has to garner at least 45 votes to become PP leader. Surprisingly, NC is the only party which has decided its PP leader through elections; all other parties, except for the CPN (Maoist Centre) picked their PP leaders unanimously. Maoist Centre is yet to pick its PP leader.