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Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey secured a vote of confidence in the Province Assembly on Thursday. He received 35 votes while 22 voted against him. The UML lawmakers cast their votes against Pandey. Two lawmakers of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party remained neutral. Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Pandey was appointed as the chief minister on April 27. Earlier, the then chief minister CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader Khagraj Adhikari failed to secure a vote of confidence on April 22.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting on Thursday. During the meeting took place at the Singha Durbar-based Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the two discussed contemporary political issues. Talking briefly with journalists after the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the meeting dwelt on contemporary political issues, government’s upcoming policies and programs and the budget. Similarly, Oli said that those involved in the fake Bhutanese refugees’ case should be brought under the purview of law. Earlier on Wednesday, an arrest warrant was issued against former Energy Minister and CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi for his alleged involvement in the case.  

Newly appointed Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Surendra Raj Pandey is seeking a vote of confidence on Thursday. He is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence in the Province Assembly at 2 pm today, according to Spokesperson at Province Assembly Secretariat, Prem Prasad Subedi. Province Chief Prithvi Man Gurung, on Monday, had called the Province Assembly session upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers for today. Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Pandey was appointed as the chief minister on April 27 with the support of 35 lawmakers- 27 from Nepali Congress, seven from CPN (Maoist Centre), and one from CPN (Unified Socialist). He is the fourth chief Minister of Gandaki Province.  

Secretary at the Vice President’s Office Tek Narayan Pandey has been arrested. He was apprehended for his alleged involvement in defrauding people on the pretext of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. Police said that they arrested Pandey for questioning after those detained in the same case mentioned his name during the interrogation. According to a preliminary investigation of police, Pandey was found involved in making fake Bhutanese refugees when he was the home secretary. He is accused of colluding with a racket involved in defrauding people of millions of rupees on the pretext of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. Earlier on Tuesday, police nabbed Indrajit Rai, security advisor of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, in connection with the same case.