The Sudur Paschim government headed by CPN-UML has fallen in less a month after Chief Minister Rajendra Singh Rawal lost the vote of confidence in the provincial assembly on Thursday.
Rawal lost the post of chief minister as he failed to secure the vote of confidence within 30 days of his appointment as per the constitutional provision.
The seven lawmakers of Nagarik Unmukti Party who had supported him for chief minister did not return to Dhangadhi from Kathmandu to cast their votes during the floor test.
Nagarik Unmukti Party had voted for the ruling coalition candidates in the elections for speaker and deputy speaker.
Rawal had written to the speaker to call a meeting of the provincial assembly for a vote of confidence for Wednesday. But the meeting was deferred to Thursday as the Nagarik Unmukti Party lawmakers did not return to Dhangadhi.
Rawal, who is the parliamentary party leader of UML, was appointed chief minister on January 11 with the support of 29 lawmakers – 11 from CPN (Maoist Center), 10 from UML, seven from Nagarik Unmukti Party and one from Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
He was sworn in as chief minister on January 12. Parliamentary party leader of Maoist Center Khagaraj Bhatta and Santosh Thapa of UML were appointed ministers the same day. Rawal had not been able to expand his Cabinet or assign responsibilities to the ministers even after nearly a month.
The fall of Rawal’s government has paved the way for Nepali Congress, the largest party in the Sudur Paschim provincial assembly, to form a government as per Article 168 (3) of the Constitution. Nepali Congress has 19 seats in the 53-strong provincial assembly.
