KATHMANDU: Rajendra Rai has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Province 1.

Province Chief Somnath Adhikari ‘Pyasi’ appointed Rai as the chief minister in accordance with Article 168 (2) of the constitution.

After Bhim Acharya resigned from the post of Chief Minister on Monday, the province chief on Monday called for formation of a new government and gave a deadline of by 1 pm Tuesday to submit claims.

Rai, the leader of the CPN-Unified Socialist, had submitted his claim for the post of chief minister with the signatures of 49 lawmakers of the Nepali Congress, the CPN-Maoist Center and the Janata Samajwadi Party.

Chief Minister Rai is scheduled to take oath of office and secrecy later today.