Lumbini Chief Minister Chaudhary steps down

LUMBINI: Lumbini Chief Minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has stepped down from his position.

Chaudhary, the parliamentary party leader of Nepali Congress (NC), announced his resignation during his address in the Lumbini Province Assembly meeting on Thursday.

The decision comes a few hours after the ruling coalition of CPN-UML, UML, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), and CPN (Unified Socialist) decided to form a new government in the province under Jokh Bahadur Mahara of Maoist Center. UML’s parliamentary party leader Lila Giri, Maoist Center’s parliamentary party leader Mahara, JSP leader Bhandari Lal Ahir, Unified Socialist leader Bhagvati Adhikari, and Independent Member Khadga Basnet signed an agreement to this end earlier on Thursday.

The Chief Minister aspirant has to secure the support of 44 members to form the government in the 87-member Lumbini Province Assembly. UML has 29 members, Maoist Center has 10 (including the Speaker), JSP has three, and Unified Socialist has one member. The coalition secured the required 44 seats by bringing Independent Member Basnet on board.

Mahara will be the third chief minister of Lumbini Province since the November 2022 election.