KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) has lodged a formal protest against the appointment of the CPN-UML parliamentary party leader Khagaraj Adhikari as Gandaki Chief Minister.

NC submitted a protest letter to Province Head Dilliraj Bhatta on Sunday, urging him to nullify the appointment, citing the unconstitutional nature of the process.

Nanda Prasad Neupane, NC Chief Whip, labeled the inclusion of the Speaker’s vote in the nomination process prior to his resignation as unconstitutional.

In a preceding instance, Province Chief Bhatta appointed Khagaraj Adhikari as Chief Minister upon accepting the claim presented by UML leader Adhikari, backed by the Speaker’s support.

Earlier, a similar case saw the Supreme Court dismiss the formation of the Koshi government due to the inclusion of the Speaker’s support.