Chief Minister of Gandaki province Surendra Raj Pandey has expanded his Cabinet.
On Tuesday, Province Chief Dilli Raj Bhatta appointed independent lawmaker Rajeev Gurung and Nepal Samajwadi Party (NSP) lawmaker Phanindra Devkota as ministers on Chief Minister Pandey’s recommendation.
Gurung has been appointed as minister for physical infrastructure development and transport management while Devkota is the new minister for energy, water resources and water supply.
Province Chief Bhatta also administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly-appointed ministers.
Chief Minister Pandey won the vote of confidence in the provincial assembly on Monday, with 31 lawmakers voting for him and 28 voting against him.
Twenty-seven lawmakers of Nepali Congress (NC), two of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, independent lawmaker Gurung and NSP lawmaker Devkota voted for Chief Minister.
Devkota, who won the 2022 election from the Gorkha-2(a) provincial assembly constituency on CPN (Maoist Center)’s symbol, crossed the floor to vote for Chief Minister Pandey on Monday.
Earlier, Bindu Kumar Thapa of NC was appointed minister for social development and another NC lawmaker Takraj Gurung was made minister for economic affairs.
