Humor and satire in Koshi province

Kedar Karki, a leader from the Nepali Congress’ anti-establishment camp, has taken the oath of office and secrecy as the chief minister of Koshi province from Parshuram Khapung, the province chief, in accordance with Article 168 of the Constitution.

He was elected on Saturday with support from 47 members of the Province Assembly. Karki, considered close to NC leader Shekhar Koirala, managed to become the chief minister with support of 39 PA members from the CPN-UML and eight PA members from the NC, though the coalition government at the Center was against a new coalition in Koshi.  

CPN (Maoist Center) parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Angbo had also staked a claim for the post with the signatures of 47 members. However, Angbo was not present for verification of the signatures.

After the NC’s rebel candidate Karki came to power in Koshi, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Koirala held a meeting at the PM’s official residence in Baluwatar on Saturday morning, agreeing to give Karki a vote of confidence.

Since 26 Dec 2022, when province assembly elections were conducted, Koshi has seen a frequent change of guard. Hikmat Karki of the UML and Uddhav Thapa of the NC each became chief minister of the province in a short span. However, their governments collapsed as they could not win the vote of confidence.

Responding to journalists’ queries, Karki described his appointment as the lawmakers’ “conscious and responsible decision” to avoid mid-term polls in the province. He said the new government was the result of joint efforts from provincial assembly members to rekindle hope among the people for development and prosperity of Koshi.

After Hikmat Karki of the UML resigned as the chief minister on Oct 7, province Chief Khapung had invited assembly members to lay claims to the high office by 5 pm Friday (Oct 13).

After taking the oath, Karki, the new CM, has formed a three-member Cabinet by appointing Shamsher Rai of the Nepali Congress and Ram Rana of the UML as ministers without portfolio. 

Meanwhile, parliamentary party leader of the NC’s Koshi province assembly Uddhav Thapa has resigned. He said it was not ethical to remain in power at a time when a new government had taken shape in the province.