Fireside Legacy: Prachanda on Political Upheaval, Coalition Shifts, and Good Governance

Note to listeners: This episode is part of the 'Fireside Legacy' archive series, recorded at Baluwatar on March 18, 2024 (Chaitra 5, 2080), when Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' served as Prime Minister. In March 2024, after completing one year in office, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' made a dramatic political shift by ending his alliance with the Nepali Congress and forming a new governing coalition with CPN-UML and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). In this candid Fireside interview with Rupesh Shrestha, Prachanda unpacks the internal frictions that led to the decision, including electoral vote-transfer failures, the Koshi Province leadership crisis, and ideological divergences at the NC Mahasamiti meeting over secularism and the peace process. Addressing critics who label him "unstable" and "opportunistic," Prachanda provides a philosophical defence of his dynamic leadership style, famously declaring, "As long as I live, there will be upheaval in this country" . He argues that taking calculated risks and adjusting course is essential to safeguard republicanism, federalism, and social justice. Key Highlights: The Anatomy of a Coalition Shift: Why the 2023–2024 alliance with Nepali Congress broke down over Koshi Province politics, vote transfers, and NC Mahasamiti debates. The "Upheaval" Philosophy: Prachanda’s response to accusations of political instability and his belief in continuous dynamic political evolution.