Surendra Raj Pandey of Nepali Congress (NC) has been appointed chief minister (CM) of Gandaki on Wednesday.
Pandey has been appointed Gandaki CM for the second time by Provincial Chief Dilli Raj Bhatta as per the mandamus of Supreme Court (SC), according to Pandey’s press coordinator Narahari Sapkota.
Pandey has been appointed CM as parliamentary party leader of the largest party in the provincial assembly as per Article 168(3) of the Constitution.
The SC on Monday issued a mandamus ordering that Pandey be appointed as Gandaki CM within 48 hours as per Article 168(3) of the Constitution deeming that Khagaraj Adhikari, who was appointed CM as per Article 168(2) of the Constitution, could not pass the floor test.
Among the 59 lawmakers present during the floor test on May 5, 30 had voted for CM Adhikari from CPN-UML while 27 voted against him. Two lawmakers from RPP had remained neutral.
Though the 60-strong provincial assembly requires support of 31 lawmakers for constituting a majority, Speaker Krishna Prasad Dhital announced that Adhikari passed the floor test even with the support of 30 lawmakers.
Pandey had then moved the SC claiming that Adhikari had failed to pass the floor test.
Pandey had resigned as Gandaki CM on April 4 after change of ruling coalition at the center with Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal breaking the coalition with NC and forming a new one with CPN-UML.
