BIRATNAGAR: Chief Minister of Pradesh 1 Bhim Acharya is taking a vote of confidence today.

To be held at 1 pm, Chief Minister Acharya will float a proposal for confidence vote in the Provincial Assembly meeting today, said Provincial Assembly member Hikmat Karki.

According to Karki, it is not confirmed whether the voting for the confidence motion will take place today or not since all the lawmakers, who had gone to their houses for Dashain festival, have not returned to Biratnagar.

Even though Chief Minister filed an application at the parliament secretariat on October 11, it could not be put into action as the parliament had been postponed earlier.

In the meeting held on October 10, Speaker Pradeep Kumar Bhandari had adjourned the meeting for October 22.

Acharya is, currently under pressure to take the vote of confidence within one month of the party split as per the existing provision.
Opposition parties had been demanding that Acharya, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Province 1 on August 26, had to take the vote of confidence on September 26.

CPN-UML had split to form CPN (Unified Socialist) on August 25.

In the 93-member Provincial Assembly of Province 1, Acharya requires 47 votes to retain his position. The UML has now only 41 lawmakers including the speaker (while one is suspended) following the party split.

The opposition alliance has 50 lawmakers (Nepali Congress: 21, CPN (Maoist Center): 15, CPN (Unified Socialist): 10, Janata Samajwadi Party: 3, Federal Democratic Forum: 1)