Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Koshi Province Chief Minister Kedar Karki has expanded his cabinet by including Ganesh Upreti from the CPN (Maoist Center) and Kamal Prasad Jabegu from the CPN (Unified Socialist).
This move by Chief Minister Karki comes despite protests from the CPN-UML which supported him to form the government. The ruling coalition, consisting of the Nepali Congress (NC), Maoist Center, Unified Socialist, and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), had already decided to form the government under the leadership of Maoist Center’s Indra Angbo. However, Chief Minister Karki, who belongs to the anti-establishment faction of NC led by Dr. Shekhar Koirala, became the chief minister with the support of UML.
Province Chief Parshuram Khapung administered the oath of office to the new ministers amid a ceremony on Friday evening.
UML, which has 40 assembly members in the 93-member Koshi Province Assembly, had earlier threatened to leave the provincial government if the Maoist Center and Unified Socialist were included in the cabinet.
“I have appointed provincial assembly members from the Maoist Center and Unified Socialist parties in line with the decision of the ruling coalition,” Karki said.
UML’s parliamentary party leader, Hikmat Karki, said his party will now withdraw from the government. “We were part of the Koshi cabinet, but the cabinet was expanded without giving any information to us,” Karki said. “We cannot be a part of this coalition any longer.”
UML’s Ram Bahadur Rana was appointed as minister in Karki’s cabinet right after he was sworn in on October 14.
