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At a time when the CPN (Unified Socialist) is preparing to withdraw support extended to the government, Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah on Thursday sacked Minister for Economic Affairs Naresh Kumar Shahi.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Chief Minister had removed two ministers and one state minister of the CPN (Maoist Center).

The CPN (US) is preparing to withdraw support to Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah today itself.

The Unified Socialist has four Province Assembly members.

With the removal of his own Cabinet ministers, it is certain that Chief Minister Shah will fall into the minority.

On Wednesday, the Maoist Center had also withdrawn support to the government.

After the CPN (US) withdraws the support to the government, Chief Minister Shah will have the support of only 26 members.

He will have the support of 18 lawmakers of Nepali Congress, seven of Nagarik Unmukti Party and one independent lawmaker.

Experts claimed that neighboring China's economic development can also benefit Nepal.

At an interaction 'China's Economic Development and New Opportunities for Neighboring Countries' organized by China Media Group and co-organized by Nepal-China Youth Friendship Association here on Wednesday, the speakers said that China's economic development will benefit other neighboring countries.

On the occasion, former Nepali Ambassador to China Leelamani Poudyal said China's economic policy would have an impact in the world.

He said Nepal could benefit from stability and economic development in China. "China's economic policy during the global recession in 2008 had helped the world economy," he said.

Diplomat Hiranya Lal Shrestha said China has made great strides in economic development in a short span of time. He said the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal has given some hope for Nepal's development.

Wang Xin, representative of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, said China's economy has been able to take a leap due to rapid industrialization development and research. He also claimed that China contributed 42 per cent to the global economy in 2023.

President of the Federation of Export Entrepreneurs Shankar Pandey, Chairman of Nepal-China Cultural and Educational Council Dr Harish Chandra Shah, Chairman of World Cultural Net Deepak Sarkar, General Secretary of Nepal Himalayan Cross-Border Commerce Association Ram Chandra Parajuli, Secretary of China Study Center Prakash Babu Poudel, among others, said Nepal-China relations have not developed as they should have been.

Chief of China Media Group, South Asia Bureau Zhang Yue and President of Nepal-China Youth Friendship Association Bishnu Sapkota stressed the need to work for Nepal's development by removing the confusion among the people about Nepal-China relations.

Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) has called its Central Executive Committee meeting to finalize names of the ministers from the party in the new coalition government.

The meeting has been called for 8 am today at the Balkumari-based party central office, informed JSP's publicity and publication department chief Purna Basnet.

According to him, the party having 15 federal parliamentarians has already decided to join the government.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expanded his Cabinet on Wednesday.

The newly appointed ministers take the oath of office and secrecy amidst a function at Sheetal Niwas as per Article 80 of the Constitution, the President’s Office said.

President Ram Chandra Paudel, Vice-President Ram Sahaya Yadav, Prime Minister Dahal and Speaker Devraj Ghimire among others were present in the swearing in ceremony.

The CPN-UML got eight ministries in the Dahal-led government.

Raghubir Mahaseth has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Padam Giri as Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Hari Upreti as Minister for Defense, Bhagwati Chaudhary as Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Rajendra Rai as Minister for Drinking Water, Damodar Bhandari as Minister for Commerce and Supplies, Jwala Kumari Sah as Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development and Balram Adhikari as Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.

Similarly, the CPN (Maoist Center) got six ministries including the Prime Minister.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs, Barsha Man Pun as Minister for Finance, Rekha Sharma as Minister Communications and Information Technology, Shakti Bahadur Basnet as Minister for Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation and Hit Bahadur Tamang as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Likewise, the Rastriya Swatantra Party got the responsibility of four ministries including Home.

President Rabi Lamichhane has been appointed as Minister for Home, Vice-President DP Aryal as Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Sumana Shrestha as Minister for Education, Science and Technology and Biraj Bhakta Shrestha as Minister for Youth and Sports.

Bhanu Bhakta Joshi has been appointed as Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration and Dhan Bahadur Buda as Minister for Urban Development from the CPN (Unified Socialist).

The new power equation formed on Monday includes UML, Maoist Center, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janata Samajbadi Party.

They were also trying to rope in other parties as well.

Padam Giri from UML, Hitman Tamang from Maoist Center and DP Aryal from Rastriya Swatantra Party had taken the oath of office and secrecy as ministers without portfolio on Monday.

Meanwhile, though Janata Samajbadi Party leader Mohammad Istiyak Rai supported the new ruling alliance, he said that it has not been decided whether to join the government or not.