Madhesh Province Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav on Monday reshuffled his Cabinet, dismissing three Nepali Congress ministers and inducting a minister from the CPN-UML.

The move comes on the heels of a change in an alliance at the centre.

Yadav inducted CPN-UML provincial assembly member Saroj Kumar Yadav into the Cabinet as Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Development. He took an oath of office and secrecy from Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari.

According to Sitaram Agrahari, press adviser to Chief Minister Yadav, three Congress ministers were relieved of their duties automatically with the changes in the Cabinet.

The chief minister has kept education and culture, health and population, home affairs, communications and law and labour and transport portfolios with himself.

Congress provincial assembly leader Krishna Prasad Yadav was Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Development in the

Yadav-led government. Likewise, Birendra Prasad Singh was in charge of the Ministry of Health And Population while Mohammad Samim was the Minister for Home Affairs, Communications and Law.

The Congress ministers in the Madhesh government remained steadfast, insisting they wouldn’t vacate their positions until the chief minister officially relieved them of their duties.

The 107-strong provincial assembly comprises 23 lawmakers from the UML, 22 from the Nepali Congress, 18 from the Janata Samajbadi Party, 13 from the Janamat Party, nine each from the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist), and one each from Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Sanghiya Samajbadi Party and one independent.

Abhiram Sharma of the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party was suspended after the Mahottarai District Court handed him a life term.

On February 18, Yadav, who represents the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), secured a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly for the third time.

Yadav had gone for the floor test after CK Raut-led Janamat Party withdrew its support to the government and recalled its two provincial ministers on January 23, accusing the chief minister of running the provincial government unilaterally.