Seven parties to file petition against Madhesh CM’s overnight appointment

JANAKPURDHAM: In Madhesh Province, seven political parties have decided to approach the Supreme Court over the sudden appointment of CPN-UML parliamentary leader Saroj Kumar Yadav as chief minister from a hotel.

The parties claim that Yadav’s appointment violated the constitution, citing Article 168, Clause 3. A joint meeting on Monday morning resolved to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court with signatures from a majority of provincial assembly members. Congress parliamentary leader Krishna Prasad Yadav said the petition would include endorsements from 74 provincial assembly members across the seven parties.

Former Chief Minister Jitendra Sonal had resigned on Sunday after failing to secure a vote of confidence in the provincial assembly, stepping down just 25 days after taking office.

On Sunday, Congress, the Maoist Centre, CPN (Unified Socialist), Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Janamat Party, Janata Samajwadi Party, and the Citizen Liberation Party had demanded that the government formation proceed according to Article 168, Clause 2 of the constitution.

However, Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari appointed Yadav as chief minister on Monday morning at Panas Hotel in Bardibas, following Article 168, Clause 3, citing him as the leader of the largest party in the provincial assembly. Yadav was sworn in at the hotel itself, triggering protests. A group of demonstrators also reportedly vandalized the Madhesh Province office in Janakpurdham.