Thapa to claim position of Chief Minister today

KATHMANDU, August 1: In Koshi Province, the ruling coalition has planned to secure a majority in the provincial assembly and is preparing to stake claim to the position of Chief Minister today. Himal Karki, Deputy leader of Nepali Congress, said that they are preparing to stake claim to the position of Chief Minister by gathering 47 votes in favor of Uddhav Thapa, the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in the provincial assembly. The deadline given by the Province Chief Parshuram Khapung to stake claim to the position of Chief Minister is ending at 5PM today.

Sources said that the ruling coalition is making preparations to claim the position of Chief Minister by achieving the majority of votes before the deadline. The ruling coalition is allegedly planning to secure the majority by persuading Baburam Gautam, the current Speaker of Koshi Province from the CPN (Maoist Center), to resign.

Although the ruling coalition wants to include the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in the government, the resignation of the speaker will be the last option to form the government. Uddhav Thapa, the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in Koshi Province, claimed the post of Chief Minister on July 6 with the support of Speaker Baburam Gautam. Thapa was appointed as the Chief Minister of Koshi Province on July 6 by the Province Chief Parshuram Khapung. However, former Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court on July 7 claiming that forming a government with the support of the Speaker is against the Constitution. On July 27, the full bench of the Supreme Court, during the hearing of the writ petition, dismissed the appointment saying that the appointment of the Chief Minister with the support of the Speaker was against the Constitution.

After the Supreme Court decided to revoke the appointment on July 27, the Koshi Province Chief Khapung, on the same day called on the parties to stake claim to the formation of a new government according to Article 168 (2) of the Constitution by August 1. Accordingly, the leaders of the ruling alliance have prepared to get the majority by seeking the resignation of the speaker of Koshi province. The ruling coalition in Koshi province has 47 votes including 29 from Nepali Congress, 13 from CPN (Maoist Center), 4 from CPN (Unified Socialist) and 1 from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP). In the 93-member Koshi provincial assembly, 47 MPs are needed to secure a majority.

 
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