Mangal Bahadur Shahi becomes fifth chief minister of Karnali Province

Mangal Bahadur Shahi has officially taken office as the fifth chief minister of Nepal's Karnali Province. Provincial chief Yagya Raj Joshi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shahi on Wednesday.

Shahi, who leads the parliamentary party of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), secured the necessary support to form the government. He garnered backing from 24 lawmakers, a coalition comprising 14 from the NCP and 10 from the CPN-UML. To establish a government in the 40-member Karnali Provincial Assembly, a party or coalition requires the support of at least 21 lawmakers.

His appointment follows the resignation of Yamalal Kandel, who had served as chief minister for the past two years. Kandel's tenure initially began with the support of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and later transitioned to an alliance with the Nepali Congress. Kandel first assumed the chief minister role in April 2024, with the backing of the Maoist Centre.