Biratnagar, February 15

Province 1 Governor Govinda Tumbahang administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai at Biratnagar-based Birendra Convention Centre in Morang today.

CM Rai formed a five-member Cabinet and administered the oath of office and secrecy to four ministers. CPN-UML PA members Hikmat Karki has been appointed minister of Internal Affairs and Law, Jeevan Ghimire the minister of Social Development and Jagajit Kusiyat the minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment while CPN-MC provincial member Indra Angwo has been given the portfolio of minister for Economic Affairs and Planning.

Earlier, Minister Ghimire had claimed the chief minister’s berth. Chief Minister Rai has kept the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development.

Province 1 Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai was born on 23 February 2071 at Pasalbhanjyang of Aamchowk Rural Municipality-3 in Bhojpur. He was born to Jagirman Rai and Ramri Maya Rai.

Rai, who has a Masters degree in Sociology, started his political career from All Nepal National Free Student’s Union in 1987. He was elected district chairperson of All Nepal National Free Student’s Union in 1992 and central member of the student’s union and eastern regional chief in 1993 and 1996 respectively.

Similarly, he was the district secretary of the CPN-UML till 1998 before the party split. After the party bifurcation, he was appointed Bhojpur district chairperson of the party for four consecutive terms till 2014. Rai was elected the youngest parliamentary member in the general election of 1999 from Bhojpur Constituency 2.

Though Rai lost the first Constituent Assembly election from Bhojpur 2 in 2007, he was elected lawmaker from the same constituency in the second CA in 2013.

CM Rai was recommended as an alternative central member of the CPN-UML in 2013 while he was elected central member and alternative politburo member from the ninth national general convention of the party in 2014. After the party restricted the province-wise organisation, Rai assumed responsibility of deputy in-charge of Province 1.

Rai also worked as chairperson of Good Governance and Monitoring Sub-committee of the Parliament in 2014 while he served as minister of Information and Communications as well.

He was elected Provincial Assembly member from Bhojpur 2 garnering 20,334 ballots in the provincial and parliamentary elections held on December 7 last year.