Opposition parties have staked claim with Gandaki Governor Sita Kumari Paudel to make Krishna Chandra Nepali of Nepali Congress (NC) the next chief minister (CM).
The opposition parties submitted signature of 31 lawmakers including 15 of NC, 11 of CPN (Maoist Center), two each of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Rashtriya Janamorcha, and independent lawmaker Rajeev Gurung to stake claim for government in Gandaki.
Governor Paudel on Friday invited parties to form the next government under Article 168(5) of the Constitution giving a deadline of 24 hours.
Gurung, who was elected from Manang as independent candidate with support of CPN-UML and was not present during the floor test on Thursday, has become the kingmaker in the 60-strong provincial assembly.
Chief Minister (CM) Prithvi Subba Gurung failed floor test on Thursday.
The confidence vote sought by CM Gurung received 27 votes in the provincial assembly where 58 lawmakers were present. Thirty lawmakers voted against the government while one lawmaker of Rashtriya Janamorcha Party remained neutral.
Sports Minister Rajeev Gurung was not present during the voting.
CM Gurung received votes only from CPN-UML while lawmakers from Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center) and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) voted against the government.
Gurung was reappointed CM on May 12.
Four parties had registered a letter at the governor's office earlier on May 12 staking claim for majority government led by Krishna Chandra Nepali of Nepali Congress (NC). But Governor Sita Kumari Paudel reappointed Gurung as CM in capacity of the leader of the largest party in the assembly pointing that NC, CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Rashtriya Janamorcha cannot muster majority after two Janamorcha lawmakers declared that they will not support NC-led government.
Gurung had resigned on May 9 a day before the provincial assembly was to vote on the no-confidence motion against him.
