Himal Press 
POKHARA: Province Chief of Gandaki Province, Prithvi Man Gurung, has called parties represented in the Gandaki Province Assembly to make a claim for the government formation as per Article 168 (2) within three days.
“In cases where no party has a clear majority in the Province Assembly Assembly under Clause (1), the Province Chief shall appoint as the Chief Minister a member of the Province Assembly who can command majority with the support of two or more parties,” Article 168 (2) of the constitution states.
The Province Chief made the call for government formation three days after Chief Minister Khagaraj Adhikari failed to get a vote of confidence in the province assembly.
According to Chandiraj Aryal, the spokesperson for the Office of the Province Chief, parties have until 4 pm on Thursday to make a claim to form government as per Article 168 (2) of the constitution.
Both Surendra Raj Pandey of Nepali Congress and Hari Bahadur Chuman of CPN (Maoist Center) are staking their claims to become the next chief minister of the province.
Pandey led a delegation of NC province assembly members to Kathmandu to meet Prime Minister and Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. NC leaders say the two leaders forged a consensus to lead the government under NC’s leadership.
Chuman had been saying that he won’t support NC to form a government in the province.
Earlier, Maoist Center had supported UML’s Khagaraj Adhikari to form a government in the province. However, the party withdrew its support after a new coalition was formed at the center.
