The Nepali Congress has withdrawn its support for the Koshi provincial government, putting further pressure on Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki as he faces the prospect of having to seek a fresh vote of confidence.

A meeting of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in Koshi on Wednesday decided to withdraw support for the government led by Karki.

The party sent a formal letter to the Koshi Provincial Assembly Secretariat while the parliamentary party meeting was still underway, provincial assembly secretary Sudarshan Khadka said. The Congress has also informed the assembly that its lawmakers will now sit on the opposition benches.

The Congress has 29 lawmakers in the 93-member provincial assembly. Its withdrawal from the government leaves Karki facing a tougher political test and could trigger another round of negotiations among the parties over the formation of a new governing coalition.

Karki had urged the Congress to support his government in a vote of confidence. Instead, the Congress parliamentary party decided to withdraw the support it had already extended to the government, effectively ending its participation in the ruling coalition.

The Congress had joined the provincial government under a power-sharing arrangement with the CPN-UML. Its decision to pull out comes as the coalition between the two parties has come under strain.

Karki will now be required to seek a vote of confidence in the provincial assembly. With no party holding a majority on its own in the 93-member assembly, the withdrawal of the Congress is likely to reopen negotiations over the next governing arrangement.

Parties will have to reassess their numbers and explore possible alliances as Karki seeks to keep his government in office. The immediate focus will be on whether he can secure enough support from other parties to survive the confidence vote.