Hikmat Karki has been sworn in as the new chief minister of Koshi province.
Province Chief Parshuram Khapung administered the oath of office and secrecy to Karki on Thursday afternoon.
CPN-UML deputy leader Ram Bahadur Rana and Ganesh Upreti of CPN (Maoist Center) also took oath as ministers on Thursday itself.
Karki appointed both as ministers without portfolio to his Cabinet.
Karki presented his claim along with signatures of 52 lawmakers from UML and CPN (Maoist Center) to Province Chief Khapung on Thursday morning.
He staked claim for the post of chief minister in accordance with Article 168 (5) of the Constitution.
There are 39 lawmakers from UML and 13 lawmakers from Maoist Center in the 93-member Koshi Provincial Assembly.
One lawmaker from Janata Samajwadi Party also supported Karki’s bid for chief minister.
Province Chief Khapung appointed Karki to the post later in the day after completing the verification of lawmakers who supported him.
Meanwhile, outgoing chief minister Kedar Karki has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court challenging the formation of a new government in the province.
He has demanded that he be retained as chief minister and that Hikmat Karki not be allowed to undertake any work in the capacity of chief minister.
The petitioner has sought a certiorari and mandamus order according to Article 133 (2) and (3) of the Constitution.
The Koshi Province Chief’s Office, Province Chief Parshuram Khapung, Provincial Assembly Speaker Ambar Bahadur Bista, proposer of resolution motion Rewati Raman Bhandari, supporters Ganesh Prasad Upreti, Kishor Chandra Dulal and CPN-UML parliamentary party leader in Koshi Hikmat Karki have been made defendants in the petition.
Kedar Karki flew to Kathmandu after Province Chief Khapung called for formation of a new government according to Article 168 (5) of the Constitution on Wednesday night.
He has claimed that formation of a new government is unconstitutional.
