After a motion of no confidence was filed against him, Karnali Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel resigned on Saturday. On the 32nd of Asar, 16 members—including those from the Nepali Congress, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), and one independent lawmaker—had submitted a motion of no confidence against the Chief Minister. The Provincial Assembly Secretariat had called a parliamentary session for 3 p.m. on Saturday to discuss the motion of no confidence. However, in the meeting, which began nearly an hour late, Chief Minister Kandel announced his resignation.

However, less than an hour after he resigned, the agreement on power-sharing between the UML and the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) at the center was made public. According to this agreement, the NCP has been given the responsibility to lead the government in Karnali. The leader of the NCP parliamentary party in Karnali is Mangal Bahadur Shahi.

Chief Minister Kandel was appointed on Chaitra 27, 2080 (April 9, 2024) as Chief Minister from the alliance of the CPN-UML and the then CPN (Maoist Center). However, after the cooperation between the two parties broke down, the Nepali Congress began supporting the government from Shrawan 21, 2081 (August 5, 2024). Since then, the Congress and UML had been running a joint government. But on Asar 31 (July 15, 2024), four Congress ministers collectively resigned, and the next day a motion of no confidence was registered against the Chief Minister. On Wednesday, the Congress and on Thursday, the NCP parliamentary party meetings decided to vote in favor of the no-confidence motion. In the no-confidence motion, Congress parliamentary party leader Jeevan Bahadur Shahi was proposed as Chief Minister.

Now, there is keen interest in who will lead the government in Karnali, says former Dean of Mid-Western University, Pitambar Dhakal. “On one hand, the process of forming a new government was underway, and accordingly, the Chief Minister resigned,” he said. “Immediately after that, another agreement was reached among the top leaders at the center.” He said that now the “key” to government leadership is in the hands of the NCP.

Advocate Durga Prasad Sapkota also says that now the possibility of a government under NCP leadership in Karnali has increased. “How can local leaders go against the agreement of the top leaders? How would they miss the opportunity to form a government under their own leadership?” he said. “Now, according to the agreement reached at the center, it is more likely that the NCP will lead the government.” However, NCP lawmaker Bhim Prakash Sharma said it is not possible to say anything about the government leadership just yet. “Until yesterday, the situation was different,” he said. “Now, a new equation has been formed at the center, and after the party and parliamentary party meetings, there may be some decision on Sunday.” UML lawmaker Tulsa Mall said that the agreement among the top leaders will be implemented in Karnali. “Previously, too, the coalition was formed according to the agreement at the center,” she said. “It will likely be the same this time as well.”

Congress Chief Whip Hikmat Bahadur Bista, however, claims that the possibility of forming a government under Congress leadership has not been ruled out. “The situation here and in other provinces is a bit different,” he said. “Many NCP lawmakers have signed the no-confidence motion, and we are waiting for their decision.”

No single party has a clear majority in Karnali. However, any of the Nepali Congress, UML, or Nepal Communist Party (NCP) can achieve a majority by joining with another. In the 40-member Karnali Provincial Assembly, the Nepali Congress has 15, the NCP has 13, the UML including the Speaker has 10, and there is one each from Rastriya Prajatantra Party and an independent lawmaker. The constitutional provision requires the support of at least 21 Provincial Assembly members to form a government.