KATHMANDU: The CPN Unified Socialist Party is preparing to join the Province No. 2 government.

Out of the 21 members of the CPN-UML, 13 are in favor of the CPN Unified Socialist Party. CPN-UML parliamentary party leader Shatrudhan Mahato said that he and 13 other members of the state assembly had chosen the Unified Socialist Party. He informed that they are preparing to verify themselves by attending the state assembly. He said that the number may vary till the time of verification.

Earlier, UML had removed Satyanarayana Mandal from the post of parliamentary party leader and elected Shatrudhan Mahato as the PP leader. Thus, those officials joining the Unified Socialist are Govinda Bahadur Neupane, Pramod Yadav, Ashok Yadav, Madan Jain Srivastava, Shatrudhan Mahato, Manju Yadav, Bechu Lungeli, Dilli Upreti, Rabindra Baitha, Khusima Khatun, Nagendra Yadav, Sundar Bishwakarma and Sita Gurung.

According to Mahato, a meeting of the party will be held immediately after the verification and a formal decision will be taken on the selection of party leader and joining the government.

Earlier, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-Maoist had already participated in the JSP-led government in Province No. 2. Of the 11 ministries in Province No. 2, four are led by JSP, three by the Congress and one from the Maoists. Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut has kept the rest of the ministry with him. RSS