Hikmat Karki appointed CM in Koshi

By Shashidhar Parajuli,Biratnagar, May 10: Hikmat Bahadur Karki of the CPN-UML has become Chief Minister of Koshi Province for the third time in 17 months after the election to the Provincial Assembly. 

Chief of Koshi Province, Parshuram Khapung, appointed Karki to the post of the Chief Minister and administered him the oath of office in Biratnagar on Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday,  Province Chief Khapung called for the formation of a new government in the province.

A total of 52 members of 93-member of the Koshi Provincial Assembly have granted their support for Karki’s appointment as Chief Minister. They included 13 from the CPN (Maoist Centre) and 39 from the CPN-UML. 

Karki’s political journey includes his initial tenure as Chief Minister starting on January 8, 2023, backed by the Maoist Centre, Janata Samajwadi Party -Nepal (JSP-N), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). He resigned from this position on June 30, 2023, following a shift in power dynamics at the Centre. Subsequently, he was reinstated as Chief Minister on September 8, 2023, following a directive from the Supreme Court. His second term ended on October 7, 2023, due to the unavailability of a vote of confidence. Seven months later, Karki was once again appointed as the Chief Minister.

Newly appointed Chief Minister also appointed two ministers and administered them the oath of office on Thursday. However, he did not designate the portfolios of the ministers—Ram Bahadur Rana of the CPN-UML and Ganesh Prasad Upreti of the CPN (Maoist Centre).

However, a writ petition challenging the appointment of Hikmat Kumar Karki as the Chief Minister of Koshi has been lodged in the Supreme Court. Kedar Karki, the ousted former Chief Minister of Koshi province, filed the petition on Thursday challenging the formation of the new government.

In the filed writ, Karki cited Article 133 (2) (3) of the Constitution of Nepal and urged the court to issue appropriate directives, including deportation and mandates.

The petition highlights a series of events, including a call, decision, and correspondence issued by the provincial head Khapung on Wednesday, prompting the submission of a claim for the appointment of a new chief minister. It argues that the vote of confidence wasn’t obtained based on the resolution proposal, as the constitution doesn’t provide for the withdrawal of support from a government formed under Article 168 (5). Karki further demands the annulment of the information dispatch order.

Named as respondents in the writ petition are the office of the province chief, Province Chief Parshuram Khapung, Speaker Ambar Bahadur Bista, CPN-UML provincial parliamentary party leader Hikmat Kumar Karki, as well as the proposer of the resolution, Rewatiraman Bhandari, and supporters Ganesh Prasad Upreti and Kishore Chandra Dulal.

In the legal filing presented by Kedar Karki, there is a call for the revocation of the directive issued by the provincial chief for the establishment of a new government, along with any decisions stemming from it.

Furthermore, an interim injunction has been sought to prevent Karki from functioning as Chief Minister and to refrain from impeding the resumption of duties by the petitioner as Chief Minister. The hearing for the petition has been scheduled for Friday.