Khagaraj Adhikari of CPN (UML) has been elected the Chief Minister of Gandaki Province.
Province Chief Prithviman Gurung appointed him on the post today in accordance with the Article 168 (2) of the Constitution. Adhikari had the support of 33 Province Assembly members, out of 60, to claim his appointment as the Province Chief Minister. Earlier the Province Chief on January 5 called on political parties to submit the claim for the appointment of Chief Minister as per the Article 168(2) by January 9.
He secured the support of 22 UML members, eight of CPN (Maoist Centre), two of Rastriya Prajatantra Party and independent member Rajib Gurung (Deepak Manage) to get appointed on the post.
Talking to the media shortly after the appointment, he pledged to move ahead by cooperating with the local levels and the federal government. "Our efforts will be for achieving a prosperous Gandaki and making the Gandaki people happy," he said.
Adhikari, the UML standing committee member and the organization department chief, had won the PA elections from Kaski-1(1) and he is scheduled to take an oath of office and secrecy before the Province Chief today itself.
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