Key Takeaways:

• Kiran Thapa formally stakes claim to become Bagmati chief minister
• Backed by CPN (26), UML (25) and RPP (12) - total 63 seats
• Province Chief Devkota set deadline for government formation at 4 pm Thursday
• Development follows resignation of CM Indra Bahadur Baniya on Aug 17

HETAUDA, AUGUST 19 The way has been cleared for a new government in Bagmati Province after CPN-UML lawmaker Kiran Thapa formally staked his claim to become chief minister, backed by the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). Thapa submitted his claim to Province Chief Dipak Prasad Devkota on Wednesday, with NCP leader Shalikram Jammarkattel and RPP leader Uddhav Thapa, among others, accompanying him. The UML-led coalition has the numbers required to form a majority government after the RPP agreed to support it, although the party will not immediately join the Cabinet. The 104-member Bagmati Provincial Assembly requires 53 votes for a majority. The NCP has 26 lawmakers, UML 25 and RPP 12, giving the three parties a combined strength of 63. The development follows the resignation of Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya after the Congress ended its power-sharing arrangement with the UML. The Province Chief had set Thursday at 4:00pm as the deadline for parties to stake a claim to form the new government. The UML parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday agreed to retain Jagannath Thapaliya as parliamentary party leader while putting forward Thapa for chief minister, paving the way for the latest government-formation process. UML had withdrawn its support for the Baniya-led government on August 6, leaving it in a minority. Baniya had subsequently sought support from the Hamro Nepali Party, RPP and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party but failed to secure the numbers needed to remain in office and resigned on August 17. The provincial assembly currently has 36 lawmakers from the Nepali Congress, 26 from the NCP, 25 from UML, 12 from RPP, three from the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and two from the Hamro Nepali Party. The oath-taking ceremony will take place tomorrow at 4 PM.