Uddhav Thapa sworn in as new chief minister of Koshi Sunuwar and Jawegu ministers without portfolio

Setopati

Kathmandu, July 7

Uddhav Thapa has been sworn in as the new chief minister of Koshi province.

Province chief Parshuram Khapung administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thapa on Friday morning.

Thapa was appointed chief minister on Thursday with the support of lawmakers from Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajwadi Party.

Thapa’s appointment has courted controversy as Baburam Gautam, speaker of Koshi provincial assembly, had also signed to make Thapa chief minister. Gautam is from Maoist Center.

Pradeep Sunuwar of NC and Kamal Jawegu of Unified Socialist have been sworn in as ministers without portfolio.

Maoist Center, however, could not send any ministers to the government on Friday. According to a Maoist Center leader, the party could not send the names of ministers as there were differences within the party over whether to repeat Jeevan Acharya as tourism minister or send a new minister. Acharya is the son-in-law of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Lawmaker Nirmala Limbu of JSP has not joined the government either.