Kathmandu, August 24: Newly appointed Bagmati Province Chief Minister Kiran Thapa Magar is set to seek a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly on Monday.
A provincial assembly meeting has been scheduled for 1 p.m., where Chief Minister Thapa Magar will present a motion seeking a vote of confidence.
Thapa Magar, a CPN-UML provincial assembly member, was appointed chief minister with the support of the UML, CPN and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). However, RPP parliamentary party leader Uddhav Thapa, who had submitted a letter supporting his appointment, has already been expelled from the party.
The RPP accused Uddhav Thapa of supporting the chief minister against the direction of the party's central leadership.
The RPP is also part of the Bagmati provincial government, with three of its 12 provincial assembly members serving as ministers. The party has sought clarification from the three ministers over their participation in the government. They were initially given 12 hours to respond, and the deadline was later extended by another 12 hours.
Despite being part of the government, the RPP has issued a whip instructing its provincial assembly members not to vote in favor of the chief minister. They have been directed either to vote against the confidence motion, remain neutral or stay absent from the meeting.
RPP spokesperson Mohan Shrestha said the party had issued the whip for the confidence vote scheduled for August 24. He said the directive issued by RPP Chief Whip Kumari Tamang had been sent to all party members in the Bagmati provincial assembly.
The party has effectively instructed its own ministers and other provincial lawmakers not to support the government in the confidence vote.
However, there are reports that some RPP lawmakers could cross the floor and vote in favor of Chief Minister Thapa Magar despite the central party directive. The party may also take disciplinary action against ministers and lawmakers who defy its instructions.
The UML and CPN needed the support of two additional lawmakers to secure a majority in the Bagmati provincial assembly. Against the position of the RPP central leadership, they had secured support from some RPP provincial lawmakers to form the government.
The outcome of Monday's confidence vote will determine whether Chief Minister Thapa Magar can consolidate his position or whether the RPP's opposition creates a new political challenge for the Bagmati government.
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