Chief Ministers of Bagmati, Lumbini provinces resign

By Our Correspondents,Deukhuri/Hetauda July 22: Chief Minister of Lumbini Province Jokh Bahadur Mahara and Bagmati Provine Chief Minister Shalik Ram Jamkattel stepped down on Sunday. While Mahara resigned from the post of the CM of the province following his address to the 24th meeting of the fourth session of the Provincial Assembly, Jamkattel announced his resignation while addressing the meeting of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly.

CM Mahara said that he would take a vote of confidence instead of resigning, but he resigned after observing signs that he would not win the vote of confidence. The Secretariat of the Provincial Assembly had published a schedule for the vote of confidence on July 20. 

After the formation of the new alliance between the two large parties in the Federal Parliament – the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, five incumbent UML ministers of the Lumbini government resigned on July 4 and withdrew their support to the provincial government. Following it, CM Mahara lost the majority in the Assembly. 

There is a constitutional provision that a CM must seek a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly within 30 days or resign from the post after the coalition partners withdraw their support. Mahara, parliamentary party leader of CPN (Maoist Centre) in Lumbini, was appointed as the Chief Minister on April 5 this year with the support of 48 lawmakers including 29 from the UML, 10 from the Maoist Centre, four from Nagarik Unmukti Party, three from Janata Samajwadi Party, three from CPN (United Socialist) and one independent MP Khadga Basnet.

With the resignation of CM Mahara, the way to form a new government is now open. According to the agreement reached between the UML and the NC at the center, the leader of the UML parliamentary party, Leela Giri would be the next CM. 

The UML and NC enjoy a comfortable majority in Lumbini. The UML has 29 members and Congress 27 while 44  members are required to form a majority government. It seems easy for UML-NC coalition to get a majority to form a new government. But the UML chief whip Tulsi Chaudhary informed that they are preparing to form a new government also by including the small parties in the Provincial Assembly. There are indications that most of the small parties will also support the UML-NC government.

Meanwhile, our Hetaunda Correspondent updated that Chief Minister of Bagmati, Shalikram Jamkattel, tendered his resignation to the Province Chief, Yadav Chandra Sharma, on Sunday. However, Jamkattel would continue to run the provincial government until the formation of the next cabinet. 

After CM Jamkattels’ resignation, Province Chief Yadav Chandra Sharma called on the parties to submit the name of a Provincial Assembly member who could prove a majority in the House for the appointment of the new Chief Minister in Bagmati.  

Before stepping down, the main achievements the government led by Jamkattel made over 17 months were made public on Sunday. 

A booklet highlighting the major works carried out by the provincial government was released during a press conference organised by the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.

Chief Minister Jamkattel, Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Yubaraj Dulal, Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Dr. Rajendraman Shrestha and Youth and Sports Minister Rama Ale Magar jointly unveiled the booklet.

Jamkattel, who was appointed as Chief Minister on February 8, 2023, said that the government should be formed in coordination. He said that he sought a vote of confidence three times during this period. He said that the provincial government played a strong role in the institutional development of the province.

He said that he had raised voices regarding provincial rights at a meeting on work expansion of the National Coordination Council and three levels of government. He claimed that the economic progress of the province was high during the last fiscal year due to coordination with various parties.