JANAKPUR: Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) Vice-Chair Jitendra Sonal on Wednesday formally staked his claim to lead the Madhes Province government, presenting the support of four political parties to the provincial head.
Sonal has submitted his claim with the backing of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Janamat Party, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), and the CPN (Unified Socialist).
Out of the 107-member Provincial Assembly, there are currently 105 active members. The UML holds 25 seats (including one suspended member), followed by the Nepali Congress with 22, JSP with 19, Janamat Party with 13, Maoist Centre with 9, LSP with 9 (including one suspended member), Unified Socialist with 7, and one seat each held by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Nagarik Unmukti Party, and the Federal Socialist Party.
With the backing of 56 lawmakers from five parties, Sonal appears poised to secure a majority and form the next provincial government.
If his claim is verified by the province chief, Sonal will replace outgoing Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh, who resigned on Tuesday after losing key political support.
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