KATHMANDU, JUNE 08

Chief Minister of Sudurpashchim Province Trilochan Bhatta has passed the floor test on Tuesday.

CM Bhatta received 30 out of 51 votes during the process. The votes gained from Nepal-Khanal faction of CPN-UML was instrumental in Bhatta's victory.

The establishment faction of the UML, however, had issued a whip to its provincial lawmakers to vote against CM Bhatta.

Bhatta required 27 votes to win the confidence motion, 13 of which came from the leaders of his party, the CPN-Maoist Centre, while the remaining 17 came from the rebel UML lawmakers defying Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's whip.

UML has 24 lawmakers in the Provincial Assembly. As such, only nine votes were cast against his favour.

Meanwhile, 12 of the Nepali Congress lawmakers had decided not to take part in the voting process as Bhatta's victory was imminent with support of dissident UML lawmakers.