Province 1 CM Rai taking trust vote on Wednesday

KATHMANDU, November 17: The newly appointed chief minister of Province 1 Rajendra Rai is currently taking a vote of confidence on Wednesday.

Earlier, Rai was scheduled to take a vote of confidence on Tuesday but the meeting was postponed as the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplab’ staged ‘banda’ (general shutdown). 

Rai was appointed CM of Province 1 on November 2.

Presenting a proposal of floor test in the provincial assembly meeting on Wednesday, CM Rai expressed his belief that lawmakers of the opposition party will also vote in his favour.

CM Rai also maintained that he is ready to collaborate with the opposition party as well. CM Rai is likely to expand his Cabinet after the floor test. The province is likely to have a Cabinet of no more than 11 members. Currently, the province comprises seven ministries.

Of 92 province assembly members, Rai apparently has the support of 50 lawmakers of five parties in the provincial assembly. There are currently 21 lawmakers of Nepali Congress, 10 of CPN (Unified Socialist), 15 of CPN (Maoist Center), three of JSP and one of Sanghiya Loktantrik Manch.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party CPN-UML has currently 39 lawmakers in the provincial assembly excluding the Speaker and an absconding lawmaker.