CPN (Maoist Centre)’s provincial assembly leader Raj Kumar Sharma has been appointed Karnali Province chief minister.

Karnali Province chief Tilak Pariyar on Wednesday appointed Sharma as the new chief minister after the latter staked his claim for the post with the support of 25 provincial assembly members.

Sharma has the support of 13 provincial assembly members of CPN (Maoist Centre), ten provincial assembly members of CPN-UML and one each provincial assembly member of CPN (Unified Socialist) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

Earlier today, going against a power-sharing deal reached among top leaders of the ruling alliance in the centre, provincial leaders of UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) agreed to lead the government in Karnali Province on a rotation basis.

As per the new deal, CPN (Maoist Centre)’s provincial assembly leader Sharma will first lead the government for two and a half years and UML’s provincial assembly leader Yamlal Kandel for the remaining term.

As per an earlier agreement forged in Kathmandu, the Maoist Centre was supposed to lead the provincial government for a full five years term.

The Nepali Congress has 14 provincial assembly members, CPN (Maoist Centre) 13, UML ten, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and CPN (Unified Socialist) one each provincial assembly member and one independent provincial assembly member in the 40-member provincial assembly.