KATHMANDU, APRIL 7
The newly appointed Chief Minister of Lumbini Province government, Jokh Bahadur Mahara, took an oath of office and secrecy today.
He solemnly pledged, in accordance with Article 172 of the constitution, before Province Chief Amik Sherchan at a ceremony held at the Butwal-based Office of the Province Chief. Mahara was appointed to the post by the Province Chief as per Article 168(2) of the constitution, marking him as the fifth Chief Minister in Lumbini Province.
The vacancy arose following the resignation of Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary from the post on April 4.
The subsequent day, April 5, witnessed Mahara presenting his claim for Chief Minister with the support of 48 PA members: 47 from five political parties and one independent.
Additionally, Mahara, also serving as a standing committee member of the CPN (Maoist Centre), was born on October 18, 1963, in Sunil Smriti rural municipality-5 in Rolpa to Ramita Mahara (mother) and Khal Bahadur Mahara (father). He represents the Rolpa constituency-1(A) in the Lumbini PA.
Previously, he held the position of Minister for Economic Affairs in last year's government, led by UML's parliamentary leader for the province, Lila Giri.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister constituted a mini Council of Ministers today itself, inducting CPN (UML)'s Chet Narayan Acharya, CPN (Maoist Centre)'s Dipendra Bahadur Pun, and Janata Samajbadi Party's Bhandari Lal Ahir as ministers without portfolio.
The newly appointed ministers also took the oath today.
