Four years of federalism: 14 chief ministers, 124 ministers

KATHMANDU: Nepal has been practicing three-tier governments exclusively since 2017 following the implementation of the Constitution of Nepal-2015 through the local level, provincial and federal level elections held in 2017. 

There are as many as 753 local governments, seven provincial governments and a federal government as per the constitution. 

These governments are expected to exercise their powers as mentioned in the constitution. However, a number of questions have been raised time and again over their structure and performances. 

The provincial governments have been blamed for frequently reshuffling ministers, even the chief ministers, promoting corruption and imposing economic burdens. 

Amid these allegations, Ratopati has attempted to analyze the data regarding the change in provincial governments, number of chief ministers and ministers in the past four years. 

As the data shows, the seven provinces have so far witnessed 14 chief ministers and a total of 124 ministers since February 11, 2018 the date when CPN-UML’s Dormani Poudel was appointed chief minister of Bagmati Province. 

In an attempt to maintain power-sharing and safeguard the governments, the new chief ministers have been engaged in splitting ministers and adding more economic burden. 

Let’s take an example of Gandaki Province where the first Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung had an eight-member Cabinet while his successor expanded it to 12-member. 

Lumbini’s former CM Shankar Pokharel’s 12-member Cabinet was expanded to 16-member strong by new CM Kul Prasad KC. 

With the change in the federal government, the number of provincial chiefs has been recorded at 24. Province 1 got three province chiefs and Province 2 four. Similarly, Bagmati has so far got three governors while Gandaki and Lumbini witnessed four chief ministers each. Likewise, three governors have so far been changed in Karnali and four in Sudur Paschim provinces. 

Province 1: Three CMs, 16 ministers 

Province 1 has witnessed four chief ministers and 16 ministers in the past four years. 

UML’s Sherdhan Rai was the first to lead the province, followed by Bhim Acharya of the same party. Rai resigned in August 2021 ending his 3.5-year tenure, giving a way out for his fellow party leader Acharya to succeed him. Acharya, however, stepped down as the chief minister ahead of voting on his confidence motion. CPN (Unified Socialist)’s the parliamentary party leader in the province, Rajendra Rai succeeded him. 

The Sherdhan Rai Cabinet used to have eight ministers. Acharya could not induct more than eight Cabinet members. 

New CM Rai introduced five ministers in his Cabinet including one minister of state. Rai is reportedly preparing to add ten ministers soon. 

Dr Govinda Bahadur, who was appointed governor of Province 1 in 2017, was succeeded by Somnath Adhikari and Parshuram Khapung. 

Province 2: 1 CM, 9 ministers

Though Province 2 has had the same chief minister since the very beginning, CM Lalbabu Raut has expanded the size of Cabinet from seven to nine to include Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Center) in the government. He is also preparing to induct two ministers from CPN (US). 

Social Development and Physical Infrastructure Development ministers were split to create the Women, Children and Sports Ministry and Drinking Water and Energy Development Ministry. 

Similarly, another new ministry --- Commerce, Supply and Science has also been formed, splitting the Economic Affairs and Planning Ministry. 

Earlier CM Raut, in an attempt to remain in power, sacked three ministers including two ministers of state --- Jitendra Sonal, Dimple Jha and Abhiram Sharma---  close to the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Chairman Mahantha Thakur. 

The province has so far got four province chiefs including Ratneshwar Lal Kayastha, Tilak Pariyar, Rajesh Ahiraj and Hari Shankar Mishra. 

Bagmati: Three CMs, 24 ministers 

Bagmati, too, has seen changes in the provincial government. Dormani Poudel, the first chief minister of the province, was succeeded by his party’s Ashta Laxmi Shakya. Shakya, who recorded her name as the first women CM, resigned after she was sure to lose a confidence motion. CPN (US) leader Rajendra Pandey was sworn in as the chief minister of the province, who recently won a trust motion as well. 

The province has so far got 24 ministers during various Cabinet reshuffles and changes in governments. Ten ministers were introduced in the Poudel-led Cabinet, 11 in the Shakya government and three in the Pandey government. CM Pandey is preparing to expand his Cabinet. 

As many as three governors have served Bagamti Province including Anuradha Koirala [appointed by the Deuba-led Cabinet in 2017], Bishnu Prasai [by Oli government] and Yadav Chandra Sharma [by incumbent Deuba government]. 

Gandaki: Two CMs, 19 ministers 

Gandaki Province has so far got UML’s Prithvi Subba Gurung and Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel as its chief ministers. Gurung, who almost remained in power for around three and a half years, appointed eight ministers in the province. But, the current CM Nepali has a Cabinet that comprises 12 ministers. Of them, only Rajeev Gurung, who was appointed the Minister for Youths and Sports in the previous government-led by Gurung, is currently having his second inning.

Later, after the Nepali Congress appointed Pokharel as the CM of the Province, he inducted five ministers from the NC, four from the CPN (Maoist Center), one from JSP while Rajeev Gurung was appointed as an independent candidate.

Likewise, on January 17, 2018, the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had appointed Babu Ram Kuwar as the chief of Gandaki Province, who was later dismissed by the KP Sharma Oli-led government and appointed Amik Sherchan in the post. Earlier in May, Sita Kumari Poudel was appointed the chief of the province. Currently, Prithvi Man Gurung has been appointed as the chief of Gandaki Province following the formation of a coalition government led by the Nepali Congress.

Lumbini Province: Two CMs, 28 ministers

UML parliamentary party leader in Lumbini Province was appointed the first chief minister of the province after 2017 elections. During his tenure, he had inducted a total of 12 ministers. 

Maoist’s Kul Prasad KC succeeded Pokharel. He is currently leading the 16-member jumbo Cabinet. 

With this, the province has so far got 28 ministers. 

The Deuba-led government in 2017 named Umakant Jha as the province chief who was later replaced by Dharma Nath Yadav during PM Oli’s tenure. Yadav, however, was dismissed and was succeeded by Amik Sherchan in August, earlier this year. 

Karnali Province: 2 CMs, 12 ministers 

Karnali, too, witnessed the change in chief minister. Maoist leader Mahendra Bahadur, who took the helm of the Karnali government for more than three and a half years, resigned earlier in October as per the power sharing agreement between the ruling alliance. NC’s Jeevan Bahadur Shahi has taken over the command of the province. 

As many as 12 ministers were appointed during former CM Shahi’s tenure. Nanda Singh Budha was the one to be appointed as the minister twice. 

Similarly, the province has so far got three province chiefs including Durga Keshar Khanal, Govinda Prasad Kalauni and Tilak Pariyar. 

Sudur Paschim : 1 CM, 16 ministers 

Sudur Paschim is one of the two provinces which has not yet witnessed government change. Trilochan Bhatta, Maoist Center PP leader, has been taking charge of the provincial government since 2018. His 11-member cabinet includes two repeated ministers and five new ministers during the reshuffles. 

The federal government has so far sent four governors to the province including Mohan Raj Malla, the first in the province. Malla was replaced by Sharmila Pathak who was later succeeded by Ganga Prasad Yadav. Yadav, too, was replaced by Dev Raj Joshi recently.