Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Uddhav Thapa has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Koshi Province.
He was appointed as the fifth chief minister by the province chief Parshuram Khapung on Thursday afternoon.
Thapa laid a claim for the post of Chief Minister with the support of 47 MPs including the Speaker Baburam Gautam this afternoon.
After that, Khapung appointed Thapa as the Chief Minister. Thapa is close to Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula.
"According to Article 168 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, I have appointed you as the chief minister of Koshi province", the letter given by the head of state said, "I congratulate you on being appointed as the chief minister and wish you a successful tenure."
With the support of coalition parties --CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party, Thapa submitted the claim to the province chief Parshuram Khapung this afternoon.
Thapa became the Chief Minister after submitting his claim with the support of 47 MPs including the Speaker. The support of 47 people is required to form the government in the 93-member Koshi Province Assembly.
Thapa laid the claim with the signatures of 47 MPs, including 29 from the Congress, 13 from the Maoist Center including Speaker Gautam, four from the (United Socialist) and one from the JSP.
Besides, there are 40 MPs from CPN (UML), six from RPP.
After the downfall of the UML-led Koshi state government, the door to form a new government had opened.
According to Article 168 (2) of the Constitution, the province 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 by 5 pm today.
Earlier on Thursday, the UML drew the attention of the state chief not to appoint Thapa as the chief minister if he laid the claim counting the speaker.
Earlier, the alliance had tried its best to coax the RPP for its support. But the RPP denied to join the new coalition for the government.
Had RPP supported Thapa, there would have been 52 MPs. Now six MPs from RPP and 40 MPs from the UML will stay in opposition. Thapa submitted a claim with the support of 47 MPs, including the Speaker after his effort to win RPP’s support failed.
