Sudurpashchim Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah resigns

KATHMANDU: Sudurpashchim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah has tendered his resignation.

Shah announced his resignation while addressing a meeting of the Sudurpashchim Provincial Assembly on Thursday after failing to secure a majority to save his government. His resignation came on the final constitutional deadline to seek a vote of confidence.

The coalition government led by Shah, a Nepali Congress (NC) leader, fell into a minority after coalition partner CPN-UML withdrew its support on July 15. Under Article 188 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015, Shah was required to table a motion for a vote of confidence within 30 days. That 30-day constitutional deadline expired on Thursday.

The UML walked out of the government and withdrew its support after the NC decided to end its partnership with the UML in July. The two parties had originally formed an alliance in July 2024 to lead governments across all seven provinces.

Following the collapse of the NC-UML coalition, the UML worked out a new power-sharing arrangement with the Nepali Communist Party (NCP). Under the agreement, the NCP is set to form governments in Sudurpashchim and Karnali Provinces, while the UML will lead governments in Koshi, Bagmati, and Lumbini Provinces.

After completing his address in the provincial assembly, Shah submitted his resignation letter to Province Chief Nazir Miya. His resignation has paved the way for the new UML-NCP alliance to form a new government in Sudurpashchim.