CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Rajendra Rai appointed Province 1 Chief Minister

Rai had switched to CPN (Unified Socialist) from CPN-UML after the party was officially registered at the Election Commission. (Photo: NL Today)

NL Today

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Kathmandu: Province 1 Chief Somnath Adhikari on Tuesday appointed CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Rajendra Rai the Chief Minister of the province.

Newly-appointed Chief Minister Rai will take an oath of office and secrecy at 3 pm today. A minister each from CPN (Unified Socialist), CPN (Maoist Center), Nepali Congress and Janata Samajbadi Party will also be inducted into the Cabinet today.

Rai was elected province assembly member from Bhojpur. He had switched to CPN (Unified Socialist) from CPN-UML after the party was officially registered at the Election Commission. The new party was formed under the leadership of former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, after a breakaway from the CPN-UML.

After the second Chief Minister Province 1 Bhim Acharya resigned following only 68 days in office on Monday, a coalition of opposition parties in Province 1 had collected signatures of 49 Provincial Assembly (PA) members to elect the next Chief Minister.

It may be noted that 47 signatures are enough for the election of the Chief Minister in the 92-member Provincial Assembly of Province 1.

After the resignation of CM Acharya, Province 1 Chief Pyasi had set a deadline until 1 pm Tuesday to submit claims to the post of the new Chief Minister.