Himal Press 
Karnali Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel
KATHMANDU: The Karnali Provincial Government has fallen into uncertainty after all four ministers from the Nepali Congress (NC) tendered their resignations on Wednesday morning.
The four ministers submitted their collective resignations to Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel before the provincial cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning.
Former Minister for Social Development Ghanashyam Bhandari confirmed the resignations. “Yes, all four of us have resigned,” Bhandari told Himal Press.
NC had four ministers in the provincial government: Ghanshyam Bhandari, Rajiv Bikram Shah, Suresh Adhikari and Bijaya Budha.
Kandel was appointed chief minister on April 9, 2024, with the support of the then CPN (Maoist Center). After the Maoist Center-led federal government collapsed, the NC and CPN-UML formed a coalition at both the federal and provincial levels. Under that alliance, four NC ministers joined Kandel’s government under parliamentary party leader Shah’s leadership on August 4, 2024.
The seven-member Karnali cabinet consisted of four ministers from the NC and three from the CPN-UML.
NC leaders say the party decided to step down after Chief Minister Kandel did not honor an understanding under which the NC and the UML had agreed to lead the provincial government in turn.
The 40-member Karnali Provincial Assembly requires 21 votes for a majority. NC and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) have 14 seats each, while UML has 10 seats and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has one. One is an independent lawmaker.
Kandal cannot command a majority in the provincial assembly without the support of either the NC or the NCP.
