Lumbini Province to get new chief minister today

BUTWAL, Aug 12: A day after the Chief Minister resigned from his post on Wednesday, Lumbini Province is all set to get a new chief minister on Thursday.  Following CM Pokharel’s resignation, Governor Amik Sherchan asked the political parties to stake claim for a new government formation by 3PM on Thursday as per Article 168 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal.  The opposition alliance, which comprises the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Rastriya Janamorcha (RJM), is preparing to propose Kul Prasad KC, parliamentary party leader of the Maoist Center as the new chief minister to succeed ruling CPN-UML’s Shankar Pokharel. According to Tularam Gharti Magar, Maoist Center’s chief whip, KC is likely to be appointed the chief minister by Thursday evening.  The alliance is also preparing to form a small-sized Cabinet under KC’s chief ministership. “The Cabinet will be given its full shape once he [Kul Prasad KC] wins the provincial assembly’s confidence,” a leader of the alliance told Ratopati.