KATHMANDU: President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has reshuffled the cabinet in the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Oli on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Oli has inducted three new ministers in his cabinet amid speculations that it would happen anytime soon.

He has also retained the Ministry of Defense for himself.

The newly-inducted ministers will be sworn-in at 11:30 am on Thursday.

The cabinet reshuffle, which followed a series of meetings with Nepal Communist Party (NCP) senior leaders, including party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has seen three new ministers being introduced.

PM Oli has inducted Bishnu Poudel as Minister of Finance, Krishna Gopal Shrestha as Minister of Urban Development, and Leela Nath Shrestha as Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens.

The NCP, for the past few months, was in a crisis with the faction led by Dahal demanding a cabinet reshuffle.

Meanwhile, Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Parbat Gurung has been given the responsibility as the Minister of Information, Communications and Technology.

Meanwhile Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokhrel, who was the Minister of Defense, has been given the responsibility to oversee the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Prachanda, Madhav Kumar Nepal dissatisfied: Sources

Meanwhile, PM Oli’s decision of cabinet reshuffle has irked Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senor leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, party insiders have said.

Both the leaders have expressed dissatisfaction over the cabinet reshuffle dubbing PM Oli’s decision as “unilateral”.

The top three leaders were at loggerheads on the issue of power-sharing, particularly on the ministerial portfolios.

List of Ministers:

KP Sharma Oli: Prime Minister

Ishwar Pokharel: Council of Ministers to Deputy Prime Minister

Bishnu Paudel: Finance

Krishna Gopal Shrestha: Urban Development

Parbat Gurung: Communications and Information Technology

Leela Nath Shrestha: Women, Children and Senior Citizens

Ram Bahadur Thapa: Home Affairs

Pradeep Kumar Gyawali: Foreign Affairs

Hridesh Tripathi: Federal Affairs and General Administration

Giriraj Mani Pokharel: Education, Science and Technology

Barshaman Pun: Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation

Ghanashyam Bhusal: Agriculture and Livestock Development

Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal: Health and Population

Lekhraj Bhatta Industry, Commerce and Supplies

Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai: Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation

Shakti Bahadur Basnet: Forest and Environment

Rameshwor Rai Yadav: Labour, Employment and Social Security

Jagat Bahadur Sunar (Bishwakarma): Youth and Sports

Padma Kumari Aryal: Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation

Bina Magar: Water Supply

Basanta Kumar Nembang: Physical Infrastructure and Transportation and Urban Development

Dr. Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe: Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

State Ministers

Motilal Dugad: Industry, Commerce and Supplies

Nawaraj Rawat: Health and Population

Rambir Manandhar: Urban Development