KATHMANDU: Khagaraj Adhikari, the parliamentary party leader of CPN-UML, has put forth his claim for the Chief Minister position in Gandaki Province.

Adhikari has garnered the support of 31 lawmakers, including 22 from CPN-UML and eight from the Maoist Center, including Speaker, as well as Independent lawmaker Deepak Manange.

Amidst shifting political dynamics at the central level, Chief Minister Surendra Pandey has resigned from his post.

Following Pandey’s resignation, Province Chief Dilli Raj Bhatta has called upon political parties to stake their claims for the position in accordance with Article 168(2) of the Constitution of Nepal.

Out of the 60 members in the provincial assembly, 27 belong to the Nepali Congress, while two are from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).