Karnali CM Shahi wins vote of confidence

Four CPN-UML lawmakers crossed the floor to help CM Shahi win the confidence

SURKHET, April 16: Chief minister of Karnali Province, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi on Friday won the vote of confidence at the province assembly.

Shahi won 22 votes in the 39-member provincial assembly, well above the 20 votes he required to win the trust of the members.

Announcing the results, Speaker Raj Bahadur Shahi said that CM Shahi secured 22 votes, while 15 lawmakers cast their votes against him.

Shahi, on April 12, announced to seek a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly after the ruling coalition partner UML withdrew its support given to his government on March 18 earlier this year.

During the voting held on Friday, 12 lawmakers of CPN (Maoist Center) and six of Nepali Congress (NC) voted in favor of Shahi. Similarly, four UML lawmakers close to the senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal crossed the floor and extended their support to the Shahi-led government. Those lawmakers include Prakash Jwala, Kurma Raj Shahi, Amar Thapa and Nanda Singh Budha. Of them, Jwala and Budha were also the ministers in the Shahi-led Cabinet before they resigned on April 6.

The 40-member assembly, however, has 39 lawmakers as membership of Dharma Raj Regmi, a CPN (Maoist Center) lawmaker, was suspended after he joined the CPN-UML.

­­­­­Of the 39 lawmakers, CPN (UML) has 20 members and 12 represent CPN (MC). Similarly, there are six lawmakers representing Nepali Congress (NC) and one from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).

Shahi had opted to try to win a vote of confidence among two alternatives before him – either to tender resignation or to win a vote of confidence.