KATHMANDU, Dec 30: The Dahal-Nepal faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Wednesday afternoon picked Ashta Laxmi Shakya as the provincial parliamentary party leader of Bagmati.

A meeting of the provincial parliamentary party of the Dahal-Nepal faction held at Parisdanda in the capital picked Shakya in place of Dormani Poudel. Poudel, the incumbent chief minister (CM), was the provincial parliamentary party leader of the party.  CM Poudel belongs to the Oli-led faction.

Shakya has been proposed as the next chief minister of the Bagmati Province.

Earlier on Friday, the provincial assembly members close to the Dahal-Nepal faction of the NCP filed a no-confidence motion against CM Poudel.

A group of 45 provincial assembly members led by Shalik Ram Jamakattel filed the no-confidence motion against CM Poudel at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat in Hetauda.

The rival faction of the NCP led by Dahal enjoys a majority in the provincial assembly of Bagmati. With the faction filing a no-confidence motion against CM Poudel, the latter has lost his majority in the provincial assembly.

In the 110-member provincial assembly, the ruling party has 80 members. Of these 80 members, the Dahal-Nepal faction has the support of 46 while the Oli-led faction enjoys the support of 34 members. 

Likewise, Nepali Congress has 22, Bibeksheel Sajha Party has 3, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Workers' and Peasants Party have two lawmakers each. The provincial assembly has an independent lawmaker. 

The provincial government in Bagmati, which is governed by the ruling NCP, ran into trouble last week after the party suffered a split over the KP Oli-led government's decision to dissolve parliament and announce midterm elections.

 
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