Three CPN-UML lawmakers of Karnali have joined CPN (Unified Socialist).
They went to the Election Commission provincial office in Surkhet Wednesday afternoon and verified to join the new party led by Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Chandra Bahadur Shahi from Mugu, Devi Oli from Rukum and Padam Bahadur Rokaya from Jumla have joined the new party, according to Shahi.
Shahi claimed that a few more lawmakers will sign for the new party. "There is the provision for choosing a party in democracy. We are holding discussion even with other lawmakers. The number of lawmakers signing in support of the new party will rise," he told Setopati.
Four lawmakers of the then Khanal-Nepal faction of UML had crossed floor to vote for Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi to save the Maoist government in Karnali. The four have since been expelled by UML.
UML now has 13 lawmakers in the province after the three joined the new party.