KATHMANDU: Gandaki Governor Sita Kumari Poudel has solicited claims with credible grounds, pursuant to Article 168 (5) of the constitution, for the appointment of a Chief Minister in the province.

The process of forming the government has started with the governor’s invitation to Provincial Assembly (PA) members of provincial parliamentary parties. Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, who was appointed as per Article 168 (3), failed to gain the vote of confidence of the PA Thursday.

The governor has provided 24-hour to submit claims. Any PA member who wishes to form the government ought to submit his/her claim by 3 pm Saturday.

Less than 3 hours after the call, the opposition alliance is preparing to stake claim to form a new government under the leadership of Nepali Congress (NC) Gandaki Parliamentary Party leader Krishna Chandra Pokharel.

Pokharel said he would stake claim Friday itself and PA members were assembling for the same.

CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), Rastriya Janamorcha (RJM) have extended support to Pokharel. PA member Deepak Manange also announced his support to Pokharel Thursday after resigning as Sports Minister.