Karnali Chief Minister (CM) Mahendra Bahadur Shahi will continue three CPN-UML ministers in his Cabinet even after the Supreme Court (SC) endorsed expulsion of four provincial assembly lawmakers by UML over crossing the floor to save his government.
UML had expelled lawmakers Prakash Jwala, Kurma Raj Shahi, Nanda Singh Buda and Ambar Bahadur Thapa of Khanal-Nepal faction for crossing the floor to save the government of Mahendra Bahadur Shahi in Karnali.
The SC on Monday endorsed the expulsion after initially issuing an interim order on June 10 to reinstate them ruling that the general convention organizing committee cannot expel lawmakers like the central committee.
The three lawmakers out of the quartet excluding Jwala are currently ministers in the Shahi Cabinet. Jwala, who was finance minister, had resigned before Shahi took the floor test.
Shahi is planning to continue the three as ministers using the provision that allows non-lawmakers to become minister for six months.
The government led by CPN (Maoist Center) strangely has become stronger after endorsement of expulsion of the four UML lawmakers, three of whom are in the Shahi Cabinet. The strength of the provincial assembly has now been reduced to 35, and Maoist Center (12 seats) and Nepali Congress (6) together have clear majority in the assembly.
UML has 16 including the speaker while RPP, that has just one seat, has remained neutral.
