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Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader in Lumbini Province Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has staked claim for the post of chief minister in the province today. As per the Article 168 (2) of the Constitution, Chaudhary laid his claim for the chief ministership before Lumbini Province Chief Amik Sherchan. Province Chief Sherchan on Tuesday had called on parties for the formation of a new government after the Chief Minister of CPN-UML-led government Leela Giri, failed to secure a vote of confidence in a proposal presented by him at the Province Assembly meeting on Monday. The Province Chief had asked the provincial members and parties to show a majority to stake their claim for the post of the Chief Minister and form a government with the support of two or more than two political parties within 4:00 pm today. With the signatures of 53 members of the provincial assembly-- eight political parties and one independent lawmaker, Chaudhary presented a claim for the same. He has the support of CPN (Maoist Centre), Janata Samajbadi Party, Democratic Socialist Party, nagarik Unmukti Party, Janamat Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and CPN (Unified Socialist). Of the 87-member Lumbini Province Assembly, CPN-UML has 29 members, Nepali Congress 27 and CPN (Maoist Centre) 11. Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party have four lawmakers each, Janamat Party, Janata Samajbadi Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party have three lawmakers each and Rastriya Janamorcha and CPN (Unified Socialist) have one lawmaker each and one independent lawmaker.  

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat has directed the customs employees to work honestly and transparently. After inspecting Biratnagar Customs Office today, Finance Minister Mahat said, "You are in sensitive service like revenue collection of the state. No one has the right to misuse their responsibilities or carry out illegal activities. We will not excuse the trend of customs leakage. I am confident that you are making good attempts and will do better in the coming days." The evaluation of the employees would be done on the basis of their performance, he said. The finance minister opined that he had expected a significant increment in the recovery of customs with the end of the current fiscal year. He also asked authorities concerned not to put taxpayers in unnecessary trouble in the name of increasing revenue. Finance Minister Mahat mentioned, "Overall, let's work with transparency and build an easy and conducive environment for service recipients. Let's carry out work as per the rules and regulations."

Three lawmakers from the National Assembly have been nominated for the Parliamentary Hearing Committee. A meeting of the National Assembly held on Wednesday decided to nominate lawmakers Jug Prasad Sharma, Devendra Dahal and Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi to the committee. They were nominated as per the recommendation of National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina. There is a provision to have a Parliamentary Committee to hear the names proposed for the appointment to the posts of Chief Justice, Supreme Court judges, Judicial Council members or officials of the constitutional bodies and ambassadors. The committee should have a total of 15 members—12 from the House of Representatives and three from the National Assembly.  

Police have arrested a man for trying to attack CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday. The former prime minister was heading towards Jhapa to take part in a program when the man pelted stones at him. Two policemen were injured in the attack. Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha informed the Parliament that the police nabbed a person who attacked UML Chairman Oli. Speaking at a Parliament meeting today, UML Chief Whip Padam Giri said that a person tried to attack UML Chair Oli while he was heading towards Jhapa from Kathmandu to participate in a program.