Kul Prasad KC of CPN (Maoist Center) has been appointed chief minister (CM) of Lumbini on Thursday.
KC has been appointed the new CM after no other person staked claim for the new government within the 24-hour deadline given by Governor Amik Sherchan to form majority government in accordance to Article 168(2) of the Constitution.
Lawmakers of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Rastriya Janamorcha submitted signatures of 42 lawmakers demanding KC be made the new CM earlier on Thursday. KC was elected from Rolpa 1 (A).
He is expected to be sworn in Thursday itself along with one minister each from NC and JSP, according to Chief Whip of NC in the province Fakharuddin Khan. Janamorcha has opted to not join the government despite supporting KC while staking claim for the government.
The coalition has reached an agreement to form a 10-strong Cabinet. Maoist Center will get three ministers including CM, NC will get four ministries including internal affairs and law while all three JSP lawmakers in the province will become ministers.
Khan added that division of ministries, however, have yet to be finalized.
NC and Maoist Center have reportedly agreed to take turns as CM. KC will reportedly remain CM for eight months and NC parliamentary party leader Birendra Prasad Kanodiya will serve for eight months after February 14, 2022.
Shankar Pokharel resigned before the provincial assembly meeting was scheduled to discuss the the no-confidence motion against his government on Wednesday
