KATHMANDU, April 3: Karnali Province Chief Minister (CM) Raj Kumar Sharma has resigned. He resigned from his post after addressing a meeting of the provincial assembly.

The chief ministership in Karnali Province was given to UML in the power coalition as per the new political alliance. But Chief Minister Sharma, who is also the leader of the Maoist Center's parliamentary party, was not ready to step down. The stance of the Maoist MPs was to implement the agreement reached at the center only after taking a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly.

Maoist Center Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal sent Karnali Province in-charge Kali Bahadur Malla and former minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi to Surkhet to make Sharma resign from his post. Sharma had been  opposing the decision of the center until the last moment.