Karnali chief minister Raj Kumar Sharma on Friday secured a vote of confidence in the provincial assembly.

The motion tabled by the chief minister seeking the confidence of the assembly received 25 votes.

A total of 13 members from the CPN (Maoist Centre), nine from the CPN-UML, one each from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the CPN (Unified Socialist) and one independent member voted in favour of the motion.

A total of 14 Nepali Congress assembly members voted against the motion in the 40-member assembly.

Sharma was appointed Karnali chief minister on January 11 after he laid his claim for the post with the support of 25 provincial assembly members.

As per the agreement in the ruling alliance, Sharma will first lead the government for two and a half years and UML’s provincial assembly leader Yamlal Kandel for the remaining 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 provincial assembly.