KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister and Chairman of Federal Council of Samajwadi Party Nepal Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has taken the seat assigned for the ruling lawmakers.

At the start of the Thursday’s meeting of Legislature-Parliament, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara informed the House of receiving a formal letter on unification between Federal Socialist Forum and Naya Shakti Party Nepal.

Dr. Bhattarai had been taking a seat assigned for independent lawmakers as his then party Naya Shakti Party Nepal had failed to be recognized as National Party.

As per the parliamentary practice, main opposition lawmakers sit at the right side of Cabinet ministers and ruling lawmakers at the left side.