Gandaki Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung lost vote of confidence

KATHMANDU: Gandaki State Chief Minister and CPN (UML) leader Prithvi Subba Gurung has lost vote of confidence in the State Assembly today. Now the process of forming a new government will begin as per Article 168 (5) of the Constitution.

Gurung, who was appointed chief minister on May 12 as the leader of the largest party in the state assembly, had sought a vote of confidence in the state assembly on Thursday. But he received 27 votes in favor and 30 against.

Speaker Netra Nath Adhikari had announced that 27 votes were cast in favor of the Chief Minister, 30 against and one MP did not participate in the voting.

Minister for Youth and Sports Deepak Manange was absent from the polls while Rastriya Janamorcha MP Krishna Thapa remained neutral. On the other hand, 15 members of Nepali Congress, 11 members of CPN (Maoist Centre), 2 members of Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Rastriya Janamorcha MPs Piyari Thapa and Khimbikram Shahi have voted in the opposition.

Now, the Gandaki State Chief will call on any member of the state assembly to nominate the chief minister on the basis of getting the vote of confidence of the state assembly.

Leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokhrel is preparing to make a claim on behalf of the opposition alliance. Fifteen Congress MPs, 11 from the UCPN (Maoist Centre) (excluding the Speaker), two from the Janata Samajbadi Party and two from the Rastriya Janamorcha are ready to make Pokhrel the Chief Minister.

Independent MP Rajiv Gurung alias Deepak Manange, who was the Minister for Youth and Sports in the government led by Chief Minister Gurung, has changed his party and joined the opposition alliance.

If he agrees, the 31 votes needed to appoint a chief minister will go to the opposition coalition.