Madhesh Province Head Surendra Labh Karna on Wednesday evening called for the formation of a new government under Article 168(2) of the constitution.

The notice has asked any member of the provincial assembly who can secure a majority with the support of two or more parties to stake a claim for the chief minister post by 5pm on Friday. The call follows the resignation of Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav.

Seven parties, including the Nepali Congress, Janata Samajbadi Party, Janamat Party, CPN (Maoist Centre), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, CPN (Unified Socialist) and Nagarik Unmukti Party, are in talks for a new government formation.

Congress parliamentary leader Krishna Prasad Yadav said the parties are positive about forming a government under the Congress leadership.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Yadav resigned, two days after the Supreme Court ordered him to seek a vote of confidence within 24 hours. He stepped down during the provincial assembly meeting, saying he saw no prospect of securing the required support. Yadav served 22 days as chief minister.

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered Yadav to seek a vote of confidence within 24 hours, or else instructed the Province Head to begin the process to form a new government under article 168(2) of the constitution. The chief minister received a written order from the court on Tuesday.

On November 10, the then Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari appointed CPN-UML provincial assembly leader Yadav as chief minister as per article 168(3) of the constitution. Article 168(3) stipulates that, in cases where the chief minister cannot be appointed under clause (2), the Province Head shall appoint the parliamentary party leader of the party with the highest number of members in the assembly as the chief minister.

His early-morning appointment at a hotel in Bardibas had sparked controversy, prompting the federal government to remove Bhandari and recommend Surendra Labh Karna as the new Province Head. The seven-party opposition alliance held a series of sit-ins and also filed a writ petition challenging the appointment.

As Yadav prepared to table the trust motion, lawmakers from seven opposition parties boycotted the meeting. Only CPN-UML lawmakers were present. Two ministers, Kanchan Bichchha of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Bimala Ansari of the Nepal Sanghiya Samajbadi Party, were also absent.

“My appointment itself was mandatory,” Yadav said before stepping down. “While in government, we worked only for the people. I asked assembly members for a vote of confidence, but they walked out.”

Then, he announced his resignation, seeing no possibility of garnering a majority in the assembly in his favour.