HETAUDA, AUGUST 4 Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya on Tuesday inducted a minister from the Hamro Nepali Party into his Cabinet as he seeks to bolster support after his government slipped into a minority. Shailendra Man Bajracharya, HNP's parliamentary party leader, was appointed Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, according to the Chief Minister's Secretariat. Bajracharya replaces Binu Rayamajhi Poudel, who resigned ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle. The appointment was made under Article 168 (9) of the Constitution on the recommendation of the Chief Minister and approved by the Province Chief. The Nepali Congress led Cabinet expansion comes as political parties continue negotiations to form a new Bagmati provincial government under a reported power-sharing understanding between the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) and the CPN-UML. Political observers view HNP's inclusion in the Cabinet as an effort by Baniya to improve his chances of securing the numbers required to survive a vote of confidence. The incumbent 104-member Bagmati Provincial Assembly requires the backing of at least 53 lawmakers for a majority. Baniya's government became a minority administration after changes in the provincial coalition, making support from smaller parties increasingly significant.