Rajeev Gurung alias Deepak Manange, who was appointed as the minister of Gandaki Province one day after he quit the CPN (Unified Socialist), has taken the oath of office and secrecy.
Manange who filed an application at the Parliament Secretariat of the Province seeking an status of an independent lawmaker yesterday took the oath of office and secrecy as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport today.
Chief of Gandaki Province, Dilli Raj Bhatta, administered the oath to Minister Manange amidst a ceremony held at the Office of the Province Chief. He had been appointed as the minister by Chief Minister Pandey on Monday morning.
This ministry was lying headless after Chief Minister Pandey relieved minister Resham Bahadur Jugjali of his post. Jugjali was from the CPN (Maoist Center).
He had been elected as a member of the Province Assembly of Gandaki Province from Manang -B in provincial assembly elections held in 2022. He had joined the Unified Socialist on December 5, 2022, three weeks after his election to the lawmaker, following a shift in the balance of power in federal governments.
He announced to have quit the Unified Socialist effective from Sunday itself. Manange said he quit the Unified Socialist to become an independent lawmaker not to let Gandaki Province be impacted by the shift in the power balance in the central government.
As things stand, the new ruling coalition formed by UML-Maoist Center on March 5 cannot form a new government.
Gandaki Province might go for mid-term elections in case a new government could not be formed following the dissolution of the current government. Manange made it clear that he is not in favor of the mid-term elections.
Chief Minister Pandey brought Manange into to his camp after the new ruling coalition failed to garner a required majority to form a new government.
