Koshi CM Karki secures vote of confidence

Biratnagar, Sept 18: Chief Minister of Koshi province Hikmat Kumar Karki has secured a vote of confidence of the province assembly.

In the vote that took place in today's meeting, 66 votes were cast in favor and 15 votes against the resolution of vote of confidence tabled by Chief Minister Karki.     

Out of 93 members of the Provincial Assembly, 83 were present in the meeting. Speaker Ambar Bahadur Bista shared that two provincial assembly members remained neutral and the rest were absent during the voting.     

Karki took the vote of confidence for the second time after the CPN (Maoist Centre) withdrew its support following a change in the power equation at the federal level. The Maoists withdrew their support on August 30.     

After the change in power alliance in the federal government, Nepali Congress has joined the CPN (UML)-led government in Koshi province.     

The Koshi Provincial Assembly has 40 members from CPN (UML), 29 from Congress, 13 from CPN (Maoist Centre), six from RPP, four from CPN (Unified Socialist) and one from JSP.     

Karki, who was appointed Chief Minister on May 9, had taken the vote of confidence for the first time on May 13.(RSS)