BIRATNAGAR: As many as 10 lawmakers of the Province-1 Provincial Assembly have left the CPN-UML to join the newly-formed CPN (Unified Socialist).

They have said that they were going to the office of the Election Commission in Biratnagar this afternoon for verification and identification in favor of the Unified Socialist Party led by Madhav Kumar Nepal.

“We are going to the Election Commission this afternoon,” a Provincial lawmaker said.

According to him, MPs Rajan Rai, Khinolangwa Limbu, Rajendra Rai, Padam Kumari Gurung, Sabitra Regmi, Sarita Thapa, Krishna Kumari Rai, Ganesh Kangmang, Sunita Kumari Chaudhary, and Upendra Prasad Ghimire are going to the EC today.

If these lawmakers identify themselves in favor of the Unified Socialist Party, the Chief Minister of State 1, Bhim Acharya, will be in a minority.

The 93-member state assembly currently has 92 members.

The largest party, the UML, had 51 MPs, including the Speaker. One of the lawmakers has been convicted on criminal charges and is currently on the absconding list.