BIRATNAGAR: CPN-UML is holding a Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting in Province 1 today.

The meeting has been called this morning, said Minister for Internal Affairs Hikmat Karki.

Preparations are underway to demand resignation of Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai, who is also the PP leader, sources have said.

UML Secretary Bhim Acharya who severed ties his with leader Madhav Kumar Nepal will be appointed as the PP leader and then Chief Minister of Province 1.  According to sources, Acharya will be administered oath of office and secrecy today itself.

In the 93-member Province Assembly of Province 1, there are 92 lawmakers, currently. Of them, UML has 51 lawmakers including a speaker, while the other lawmaker Gulephun Khatun is at large after being convicted of criminal case.

Forty-seven lawmakers are necessary for a majority in the province assembly.  Opposition alliance needs additional eight to nine lawmakers to form a new government against the incumbent one.

Similarly, Nepali Congress (NC) has 21 lawmakers, CPN (Maoist Center) 15, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) 3, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Federal Democratic Forum (FDF) have one each.