Govinda Neupane has taken the oath of office and secrecy as the senior-most member of the Madhesh Province Assembly.

Hari Shankar Mishra, the Head of Madhesh Province, administered the oath to 71-year-old Neupane on Thursday.

Neupane has been elected from Saptari 4 (A) and is a leader of the CPN (Unified Socialist). He will administer the oath to 106 provincial lawmakers on Friday.

The 107-member assembly has 23 lawmakers from the CPN-UML, 22 from Nepali Congress, 16 from Janata Samajbadi Party, 13 from Janmat Party, nine from Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, eight from CPN (Maoist Centre), seven from CPN (Unified Socialist), and one each from Nepal Sanghiya Samajbadi Party, Nepal Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party. The provincial assembly has six lawmakers elected as independents.