In what looked like a repeat of what happened in Lumbini a last week, Gandaki Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung tendered his resignation on Sunday, a day ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion against him.

After accepting Gurung’s resignation, Provincial Chief Sita Kumari Poudel has called for the formation of a new government under Article 169 (3) of the constitution.

A no-confidence motion against Gurung was tabled at the Provincial Assembly on April 26.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Province Chief, Poudel thanked for the work carried out by the Gurung-led Cabinet.

“The incumbent government will continue until a new Cabinet is formed as per Article 169 (3) of the constitution,” read the statement.

Earlier on May 2, Lumbini Chief Minister Shankar Pokhrel also had resigned in a similar fashion to dodge a no-confidence motion against him. Pokhrel was re-appointed the chief minister hours later by Provincial Chief Dharma Nath Yadav later in the evening the same day amid a hullabaloo.

Both Gurung and Pokhrel are CPN-UML chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s close confidantes.

Gurung’s resignation on Sunday came after a no-confidence motion was filed against Pokhrel in Lumbini for a second time.

In Gandaki, as many as 28 members of the Provincial Assembly representing the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and Janata Samajbadi Party on April 15 had registered a no-confidence motion against Gurung. However, Gurung prorogued the assembly effective from midnight of April 14, hours before the motion was registered.

In the 60-member Gandaki Provincial Assembly, the UML has 27 members, Congress 15, Maoist Centre 12, Rastriya Janamorcha 3, and the Janata Samajbadi Party has 2 members.