The opposition coalition in Province 1 is set to make parliamentary party leader of CPN (Unified Socialist) in the province Rajendra Rai the next chief minister (CM).
The coalition has started to collect signature of lawmakers to stake claim for the government amidst reports about CM Bhim Acharya opting to resign instead of facing the floor test.
The coalition has majority in the province now. CM Acharya, who was appointed to the post on August 26 after shifting camp to join UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, is now in minority after 10 CPN-UML lawmakers joined CPN (Unified Socialist). He looks set to lose the floor test if there are no dramatic changes in power balance in the assembly.
There are currently 92 lawmakers in the 93-strong assembly. UML now has only 41 lawmakers including speaker and a lawmaker who is currently absconding after being accused of crime. Acharya will have support of just 39 UML lawmakers. The opposition coalition now has comfortable majority with Nepali Congress having 21 lawmakers, CPN (Maoist Center) 15, Janata Samajwadi Party three and Federal Democratic Forum one to go with the 10 in the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led party. The coalition claims that it also has support of Sanghiya Loktantrik Manch lawmaker Bishnu Maya Tumbahangphe taking its strength to 50.
