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

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

KC was elected provincial assembly member from Rolpa Constituency No 1 (A).

The provincial chief, Sherchan, had set 3pm on Thursday as the deadline for political parties to stake claim to form the new government.

KC took oath of office and secrecy amid a function organised at the office of the provincial chief on Thursday evening.

Immediately after assuming his office, KC formed a seven-member Council of Ministers, three from the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, one each from Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre and one independent provincial assembly member.

Fakaruddin Khan, the chief whip of Nepali Congress, said six provincial assembly members were given responsibility as per the agreement reached among the coalition partners.

“There is no problem in the ruling alliance. The Cabinet will be expanded after the chief minister gets a vote of confidence,” said Khan.

In the 87-member 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 Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), Janata Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Janamorcha.

He also had the support of independent provincial assembly member Ajaya Shahi, who was included in KC’s Cabinet on Thursday.

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 the 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 minority, Shanker Pokhrel of CPN-UML on Wednesday resigned as the chief minister of Lumbini Province.

Ahead of the provincial assembly session where opposition parties were set to discuss a vote of confidence against him, Pokhrel put in his papers before Sherchan.

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

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

(Amrita Anmol contributed reporting from Butwal)