BIRATNAGAR, NOVEMBER 1

The five-party alliance has staked claim for the post of chief minister in Province 1 today.

In line with the call made by Province 1 Governor Somnath Adhikari, the five parties have staked the claim to make NCP-Unified Socialist Party's parliamentary party leader Rajendra Rai the next chief Minister of the province.

The parties have submitted the claim with signatures of 49 lawmakers - Nepali Congress's 21, CPN-Maoist Centre's 14, CPN-Unified Socialist's 10, Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal's three, and Federal Loktantrik National Forum's one -- for making Rai the chief minister.

Deputy Speaker Saraswoti Pokhrel, who was elected to the Provincial Assembly on the CPN-MC's ticket, could not sign as she is in Kathmandu.

Following the resignation of Chief Minister Bhim Prasad Acharya, Governor Adhikari had called for the formation of a new government by tomorrow. A new government under Rai's leadership will be formed after the expiry of the government formation deadline.

Meanwhile, Karnali's Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi put in his papers today.

Addressing the Provincial Assembly, CM Shahi announced his resignation. The Nepali Congress and the CPN-Maoist Centre had signed an agreement to lead the government in rotation on April 15. As per the agreement, Maoists had to hand over the leadership of the provincial government to the Nepali Congress by November 1. Shahi's resignation has paved the way for NC parliamentary party leader Jivan Bahadur Shahi to become the next CM of the province.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 02, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.