Lumbini Chief Minister Jokh Bahadur Mahara will face a floor test on Friday.

Durlabh Kumar Pun, secretary at the provincial assembly secretariat, said Speaker Tularam Gharti Magar has summoned a meeting of the provincial assembly for 1pm on Friday for the purpose.

Mahara of the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) was appointed chief minister on Friday after Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary of the Nepali Congress resigned after his attempts to prove a majority in the provincial assembly failed.

The chief minister is almost certain to secure the confidence of the provincial assembly he is backed by 48 lawmakers including 29 CPN-UML assembly members, 10 from the Maoist Centre, four from the Nagarik Unmukti Party, three from the Janata Samajbadi Party, one from CPN (Unified Socialist) and one independent member.

Support from 44 members is necessary to command a majority in the 87-member assembly.