NC finally joins Koshi Province Government

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) has joined the coalition government in Koshi Province under the leadership of Bhupendra Rai.

Along with Rai, Khagen Singh Hangam and Sadananda Mandal have joined the province government while Bhumi Rajbanshi is the Minister of State for Physical Infrastructure.

Rai is said to be close to NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula. Likewise, Hangam and Mandal are close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Rai has been given the physical infrastructure portfolio, while Hangam and Madal will head the industry, agriculture and cooperative; and tourism, forest and environment ministries, respectively.

The new ministers were sworn in on Friday itself.

Although the ministers representing CPN (Maoist Center) resigned on July 26 itself following the formation of a new NC-UML coalition, NC had been failing to pick its ministers due to intra-party dispute on sharing of portfolios.