Karnali Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel secured the vote of trust from the provincial assembly on Thursday.

A total of 23 votes—10 from the UML and 13 from the Maoist Centre—were cast in Kandel’s favour while 12 provincial assembly members voted against the trust motion. One lawmaker of the CPN (Unified Socialist) stayed neutral.

Support from 21 members is required for a majority in the 40-member provincial assembly.

Kandel was appointed the chief minister on April 9 after he staked claim to the post with the backing of 23 members of the assembly.

Raj Kumar Sharma of the Maoist Centre stepped down from the position during a meeting of the provincial assembly on April 3 following a new power-sharing deal reached at the centre.

As per the power-sharing deal reached among the ruling coalition partners at the centre, it was decided that a CPN-UML lawmaker would lead the Karnali government.

Sharma along with other province members of the Maoist Centre had initially refused to implement the centre’s decision. Chief Minister Sharma had planned to seek the vote of confidence from the assembly but later backtracked on his plan after instruction from Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also chair of the CPN (Maoist Centre).