Sudurpaschim Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah of the Nepali Congress resigned from his position on Thursday.

Shah, who had been rallying to gain a majority in favour of his government, tendered his resignation to Province Head Najir Miya after weeks-long efforts failed.

The Congress leader had planned to seek a vote of confidence at the province assembly but the meeting called for Thursday was postponed twice.

The chief minister had hoped to garner the support of the Nagrik Unmukti Party, which has seven members in the provincial assembly. However, he stepped down from the post after the party chair Ranjita Shrestha, and the party’s provincial assembly members Kailash Chaudhary and Tika Thapa didn’t return from Kathmandu.

Shah had been elected as Sudurpaschim Chief Minister on February 9 last year after then Chief Minister Rajendra Singh Rawal tendered his resignation after failing to secure the vote of confidence during the floor test in the provincial assembly.

Earlier today, Lumbini Province Chief Minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary also resigned from his post citing a change in the political alliance.

The Chaudhary-led government had fallen into a minority after the formation of a new ruling coalition at the centre last month.

Triggered by the March 4 political realliance in Kathmandu, the struggle to retain and change governments in the provinces has become intense in the last couple of days.

On Wednesday, Gandaki Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey of Nepali Congress and Karnali Chief Minister Rajkumar Sharma also put in papers due to the political changes.