Kul Prasad KC, the parliamentary party leader of CPN (Maoist Centre), has been appointed as the chief minister of Lumbini Province.

On Thursday, Amik Sherchan, the provincial chief of the Lumbini Province appointed KC as the new chief minister on the basis of Article 168 (2) of the Constitution.

Tularam Gharti, chief whip of the Maoist Centre, informed that KC received an appointment letter on Thursday. KC was elected provincial assembly member from Rolpa Constituency No 1 (A).

The provincial chief Sherchan set 3pm on Thursday as the deadline to stake claim to form the new government.

In the 87-member Lumbini provincial assembly which now has 80 members, the alliance controls 42 seats while the UML has 37.

KC became the chief minister with the support of alliance of four parties—Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), Janata Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Janamorcha. The chief minister also has the support of an independent provincial assembly member.

The oath taking ceremony of the new chief minister is currently being held at the provincial chief office.

According to KC, the Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress have reached a gentleman’s agreement to lead the provincial government in rotation of eight months each, while including the Samajbadi Party in each government. “Rastriya Janamorcha will not be a part of the government but will extend its support to the new government,” said KC.

After falling into the minority, Shanker Pokhrel on Wednesday resigned as the chief minister of Lumbini Province. His resignation was immediately approved by Sherchan.

Ahead of the provincial session where opposition parties were all set to discuss a vote of confidence against him, Pokhrel on Wednesday met with provincial chief Sherchan and put in his papers.

Earlier too, Pokhrel had faced a similar political crisis but was later re-elected as chief minister on May 2.

With KC appointed as the chief minister of Lumbini, the Maoist Centre now leads the government in three provinces including Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.