BUTWAL: The Lumbini Provincial Parliamentary Party (PP) of the ruling CPN-UML has decided to form a new government led by parliamentary party leader Shankar Pokharel.
A meeting of the parliamentary party held in Butwal Sunday morning decided to form a new government led by Pokharel, who resigned earlier today from the post of Chief Minister, according to a state assembly member.
According to sources, Pokharel is likely to take oath as the Chief Minister on Sunday itself.
Soon after tendering his resignation, Pokharel had claimed of forming a single majority government in the province.
Pokharel claims that since he has become the Chief Minister as per Article 168, Clause 2 of the Constitution, a single government should now be formed as per Article 168, sources close to him said.
Pokharel, who won the state assembly election from Dang Constituency No. 2 (A), became the Chief Minister with the support of the CPN (Maoist Center).
Lawmakers of the Maoist Center, Nepali Congress, and Janata Samajbadi Party had filed a no-confidence motion against him on April 19.
Meanwhile, a special session of the provincial assembly was set to be convened today.
However, the resignation of Chief Minister Pokharel has changed the political scenario.
With the dismissal of two members of the Maoist Center and four members of the Janata Samajwadi Party, the Lumbini Provincial Assembly has currently 81 lawmakers.
Among the 81 members, Pokharel’s party CPN-UML has 41 MPs. Since the UML needs 41 to claim a majority, the UML party has claimed that it would form a single majority government.
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