KATHMANDU, Nov 11: A total of 74 provincial assembly members have filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court, challenging the recent appointment of the Chief Minister in Madhesh Province, calling it unconstitutional.
The petition, filed with signatures from the lawmakers and represented by Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Krishna Yadav, demands an interim order to suspend the appointment and seeks a constitutional call for a fresh formation of government.
According to Supreme Court spokesperson and joint registrar Arjun Prasad Koirala, the case has been scheduled for hearing on Wednesday.
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The controversy stems from the recent appointment of Saroj Yadav of the UML as Chief Minister. A month earlier, the UML had supported Congress leader Krishna Yadav for the position. However, amid internal disputes within the Janamat Party, LSP’s Jitendra Sonal became Chief Minister. Sonal later resigned after failing to secure a majority.
Following Sonal’s resignation, political turmoil deepened in Madhesh. The Congress–UML alliance collapsed, with Congress forming a seven-party coalition excluding the UML, while the UML sought to form the government under Article 168(3) of the Constitution, which allows the largest party to lead the government.
However, the coalition contends that the government formation process under Article 168(2) was still valid, as Sonal had resigned before seeking a vote of confidence. The dispute escalated after the provincial head administered the oath to UML leader Saroj Yadav at a hotel, allegedly while on leave for medical reasons in Kathmandu.
The petitioners, holding nearly a two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly, have demanded the annulment of the appointment and the initiation of a new, constitutionally valid process for government formation.
