DHANGADHI: Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatt has reshuffled his cabinet after three ministers in the cabinet representing CPN-UML resigned on Friday.

The Sudurpashim parliamentary party (PP) of CPN-UML, which is embroiled in an internal dispute, recommended the change of the ministers representing the party in the CPN-Maoist Center-led government in Sudurpaschim province.

Soon after, three UML ministers resigned, the cabinet has been reshuffled adding five ministers and four ministers of state.

However, UML’s PP leader Prakash Bahadur Shah has been re-elected as a minister.

Despite UML’s standing committee’s directives to withdraw support, the province PP had decided to retain the support to the government.

Earlier, amid controversy, three government ministers resigned on Friday afternoon. Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Prakash Bahadur Shah, Minister for Social Development Krishna Raj Subedi and Minister for Tourism, Forest and Environment Maya Bhatta had resigned.

Among the newly added ministers, four are from the UML and one from the Maoist center. Repeated as a minister, Shah has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning.

CM Bhatt has appointed Purna Joshi as Minister for Internal Affairs whereas Dirgha Sodari and Lal Bahadur Khadka are assigned the Ministry for Physical Infrastructure and Ministry for Social Development respectively.

Man Bahadur Dhami, a lawmaker from the Maoist Center has become the Tourism Minister.

Similarly, Chundevi Chaudhary, Manakumari Saud, Archana Gahatraj and Man Bahadur Sunar have been appointed Minister of State. The newly appointed ministers and ministers of state were sworn in on Friday.