Uddhav Thapa, the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party, has laid a claim on behalf of the alliance for the Chief Minister of Koshi Province.
With the support of coalition parties CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party, Thapa submitted the claim to the provincial chief Parshuram Khapung on Thursday.
Thapa submitted the claim with the support of 47 MPs including Speaker Baburam Gautam. The support of 47 people is required to form the government in the 93-member Koshi Province Assembly.
Thapa has submitted the claim with the signatures of 47 MPs including 29 from Congress, 13 from Maoist Center including Speaker Gautam, four from (United Socialist) and one from JSP.
There are 40 MPs from CPN (UML), and six from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).
After the downfall of the UML-led Koshi Province government, the door to form a new government has opened.
According to Article 168 (2) of the Constitution, the provincial chief Khapung had given 4 days time to form a new government with the support of two or more than two parties.
The province chief had given time to submit the claim till 5 pm on Thursday.
Earlier on Thursday, the UML drew the attention of the province chief not to appoint Thapa as the chief minister if he claimed for the post including the Speaker.
Earlier, the alliance had tried its best to woo RPP for its support. But since RPP has been in cooperation with UML since previous elections, it has taken a stand that it will not join the new coalition for the government.
If RPP had supported Thapa, there would have been 52 MPs. Now there are six MPs of RPP in Koshi.
Failing to garner support from RPP, Thapa submitted a claim with the support of 47 MPs, including the Speaker.
