When Lumbini Province Chief Minister Jokh Bahadur Mahara of CPN (Maoist Centre) resigned on Sunday, it was widely assumed that CPN-UML’s Leela Giri would be the next chief minister.

The assumption was quite natural given that he is the provincial assembly leader of the UML and took on the chief minister’s role for around two months earlier this year.

But there were dramatic changes in the Lumbini politics as UML chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli instructed the provincial UML leaders to promote another leader to the chief ministerial post.

Eventually, CPN-UML deputy provincial assembly leader Chet Narayan Acharya was appointed Lumbini chief minister on Monday.

Province Head Amik Sherchan appointed Acharya to the position after he staked claim to lead a new government with the support of 56 lawmakers, including 29 from the UML and 27 from the Nepali Congress.

Province Head Sherchan appointed Acharya as the chief minister in accordance with Article 168(2) of the constitution.

According to a UML leader, Acharya was promoted instead of Giri after instructions from party chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.

“Though we are not sure about the reason why the party selected Acharya instead of Giri, we believe that it was due to the rivalry between party vice-chair Bishnu Paudel and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel,” a provincial assembly member of UML told the Post on the condition of anonymity. “Due to the personal rivalry of Paudel and Pokharel, Acharya got the opportunity despite Giri earlier being considered as the chief minister.”

During the party's provincial convention held in September last year, Paudel and Pokharel were engaged in fierce competition to elect provincial leaders loyal to them as chair of the provincial committee. The same rivalry is now reflected while electing the chief minister in the province, claimed the leader.

Bimal Gautam, who teaches political science in Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dang and follows the provincial politics closely, recalled how intensely Paudel and Pokharel were engaged to get their supporters elected during the provincial leadership last year.

“Party chair KP Sharma Oli instructed the party rank and file to choose the provincial chair unanimously, but Paudel and Pokharel fielded their separate candidates,” Gautam told the Post. Hari Risal, who was from the Pokharel camp, lost the election by two votes to Paudel faction’s Radha Krishna Kandel.

According to Gautam, since then, Giri was in Paudel camp, and Acharya was with Pokharel.

In a sign of discontent, UML provincial assembly leader and former chief minister Giri did not join party leaders at the Office of the Province Head to propose Acharya for the chief ministerial position on Monday.

As per the July 1 Congress-UML deal, UML is to lead the provincial government of Lumbini in the first round.

In Lumbini, the UML is the largest party with 29 seats, followed by Congress with 27 seats. The two parties’ strength is more than enough to prove the majority in the 87-member Lumbini provincial assembly.

As per the two-party agreement, UML will lead the governments in Koshi, Lumbini and Karnali provinces in the first round.

While the Janamat Party will lead the Madhesh Province, the remaining three provincial governments, Bagmati, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim are to be led by Congress.

UML leaders Hikmat Karki and Yamlal Kandel have already been elected chief ministers in Koshi and Karnali provinces, respectively.

Meanwhile, ministers from the Maoist Centre in the Karnali Province government resigned from the Kandel-led government on Monday.

The Maoist ministers’ resignation has cleared the way for Karnali Chief Minister Kandel to bring Congress on board his Cabinet. In the 40-member strong Karnali assembly, Congress commands 14 seats while UML has 10.

As per the deal between Congress and UML, the Congress will lead the government of Bagmati and Sudurpaschim provinces. Congress leader Surendra Pandey is already the chief minister in Gandaki.

Bagmati Chief Minister Shalikram Jamkattel resigned from the post on Sunday. Province Head Yadavchandra Sharma subsequently asked provincial assembly members and political parties to submit their claims for the chief minister’s post and form a government within two days.

Jamkattel tendered his resignation as his government fell into the minority after the UML withdrew its support to his government.

To form a government in Bagmati Province, any party or provincial assembly member must have the support of 56 provincial assembly members. In the 110-seat Bagmati provincial assembly, the Congress has 37 members, UML 27, Maoist Centre 21, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 13, CPN (Unified Socialist) seven, Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party three and Hamro Nepali Party has two seats.

The Bagmati Province parliamentary party meeting of Congress, held on Sunday, already decided to form the government under the leadership of Bahadur Singh Lama.

While the new government formation in other Provinces is to be completed in a few days, it's likely to take a few more days in Sudurpaschim. Chief Minister Dirgharaj Sodari of CPN (Unified Socialist), despite falling into a minority, is reluctant to resign, according to leaders. Due to his reluctance, the formation of the new government in the province is likely to take a few more days, Kamal Bahadur Shah, the provincial assembly leader of the Congress, said.

“Though the UML, the coalition partner of the Sodari government, withdrew its support to the government on July 4, the chief minister has still not resigned from the post nor has he declared the date to face the assembly,” Shah told the Post. “It looks like the process of forming a new government will take a few more days.”

As per Article 100(2) of the constitution, the chief minister should take a vote of confidence within 30 days after a coalition partner withdraws its support. August 2 marks the 30th day.

“Our party has not decided who will lead the government as of now,” Shah, the former chief minister of the province from Congress, said. “The formation of a new government in the province will only start after Chief Minister Sodari resigns.”

In the 53-member Sudurpaschim assembly, Congress has 17 seats, and UML has 11, which is enough to secure the majority in the assembly.