Four ministers and a state minister from the Nepali Congress resigned from the Koshi provincial government on Wednesday, following the party’s decision to withdraw from the coalition.

The ministers jointly submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki after the cabinet meeting.

Those who resigned are Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Pradeep Kumar Sunuwar, Minister for Tourism, Forests and Environment Bhim Parajuli, Minister for Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives Israel Mansuri, Minister for Health Man Bahadur Limbu and State Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Shobha Chemjong.

The Congress decision follows an agreement at the federal level to form a new ruling alliance between the CPN-UML and the Nepali Communist Party. In line with the federal power-sharing arrangement, the Congress provincial parliamentary party had earlier decided to withdraw from the Koshi government and instructed its ministers to resign.

The five ministers were appointed to the provincial cabinet on January 6 during the second reshuffle carried out after the UML and Congress reached a power-sharing agreement.