BUTWAL, July 24: The Nepali Congress (NC) has finalized its list of ministers for Lumbini Province, selecting four individuals from the party and one from another party for the five ministries under its jurisdiction. This decision has met with strong dissatisfaction from other factions within the organization.
A meeting involving NC and UML ministers, along with Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya, took place on Wednesday morning at the office of Provincial Chief Amik Sherchan in Butwal. Leaders and workers have assembled in Butwal for the swearing-in ceremony.
In Lumbini Province, NC Parliamentary Party leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary and other leaders met with party President Sher Bahadur Deuba in Kathmandu to finalize the ministerial appointments.
PM Oli holds discussion with chief minister and ministers of Lu...
According to sources, the finalized list includes NC Chief Whip Janmejay Timilsina from Bardiya, Dhanendra Karki from Gulmi, Saroj Thapa (Rose Rana) from Pyuthan, Prachanda Bikram Neupane from Dang, and Badshah Kurmi from Banke. Except for Neupane, the other four appointees are from the establishment faction of the party.
Among the new ministers, Thapa from Pyuthan is the only one being retained, while the others are new faces. Thapa is closely associated with party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and previously served as the Minister for Industry and Transportation under Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary.
Leaders from other factions within the establishment have expressed their intention to boycott today's swearing-in ceremony, claiming that the ministerial appointments were made without proper consultation with the provincial committee. However, Prachanda Bikram Neupane, from another faction, has also arrived at the office of the province chief.
Nepali Congress Lumbini Province President Amar Singh Pun has also criticized the lack of consultation and coordination with the provincial committee in the selection process.
