Himal Press 
Kamal Bahadur Shah
DHANGADHI: Sudurpashchim Province is seeing its fourth government in less than two years.
Kamal Bahadur Shah of Nepali Congress (NC) submitted his claims to form a new government in the province on Sunday morning. Shah will lead a coalition government of NC and CPN-UML. Some fringe parties, which are a part of the coalition government in the center, could also join his government.
This will be Shah’s second stint at the helm of the province government since the November 2022 polls. He was appointed Chief Minister on February 10, 2023, with the support of CPN (Maoist Center) and some small parties. Shah stepped down on April 4, 2024, after the Maoist Center withdrew its support.
After the 2022 elections, Rajendra Singh Rawal of CPN-UML was appointed Chief Minister on January 11, 2023. He formed a coalition government with the support of CPN (Maoist Center), Nagarik Unmukti Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). However, his government fell within a month.
Following Rawal’s departure, Shah of NC was appointed Chief Minister on February 9, 2023. However, he resigned on April 5, 2024, after the Maoist Center withdrew its support.
Dirgha Sodari of the CPN (Unified Socialist) was appointed Chief Minister on April 19. However, after 105 days in office, he resigned on Friday when UML withdrew its support after joining hands with the NC to form governments at the center as well as in provinces.
Trilochan Bhatta of Maoist Center led the province government for a full five-year term after the 2017 polls. The second term, however, has already seen three governments with the fourth one taking office very soon.
Out of 53 members in the province assembly, 26 have already held cabinet berths.
Frequent changes in government have negatively impacted development projects and law-making processes in the province. According to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, only four bills, including amendments, have been passed and authenticated since the November 2022 election.
