At a time when the CPN-UML and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) are engaged in intense negotiations over a possible political alliance, Karnali Province Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel has resigned from his post, paving the way for a new political equation in the province.

Kandel announced his resignation while addressing the Provincial Assembly on Saturday, ahead of a scheduled discussion on a no-confidence motion registered against his government.

The no-confidence motion had been tabled by 16 provincial lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and the NCP after the coalition between the two parties shifted following changes in national politics.

The political crisis in Karnali deepened after four Nepali Congress ministers resigned en masse from the provincial cabinet on July 15. The ministers who stepped down were Finance Minister Rajiv Bikram Shah, Water Resources Minister Bijaya Budha, Social Development Minister Ghanshyam Bhandari, and Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment Suresh Adhikari.

Kandel, a UML leader , was elected chief minister on March 27, 2024 with the support from the NCP.