UPDATE: New ministers from JSP’s Thakur faction being sworn in

KATHMANDU, June 4: Ten leaders of the Mahantha Thakur faction of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) are being sworn in as the ministers and ministers of state at 6PM on Friday. 

According to Laxman Lal Karna, a leader of the faction, the list from the party was submitted to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. 

Ten leaders joining the Oli government, under the leadership of Rajendra Mahato, include Sarad Singh Bhandari, Anil Kumar Jha, Raj Kishor Yadav, Chanda Chaudhary, Laxaman Lal Karna, Uma Shankar Argariya, Bimal Shreevastab, Ekbal Miya and Renuka Gurung.  Eight of them will be inducted as ministers while two others will have the portfolio the ministers of state.

According to the sources close to the faction, the leaders are likely to get the following portfolios: 

1. Rajendra Mahato: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development 
2. Sharad Singh Bhandari: Minister for Energy and Water Resources
3. Anil Kumar Jha: Minister for Water Supply 
4. Laxman Lal Karna: Minister Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation
5. Bimal Shreevastab: Minister for Labor and Employment
6. Uma Shankar Argariya: Minister for Forest and Environment
7. Chanda Chaudhary: Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens
8. Ekbal MiyaL Minister for Youth and Sports
9. Chandra Kanta Chaudhary: Minister of State for Energy 
10. Renuka Gurung: Minister of State for  Women, Children and Senior Citizens