Shahi wins confidence vote to lead Karnali government

Mangal Bahadur Shahi has successfully secured a vote of confidence, solidifying his position as the Chief Minister of Karnali Province in Nepal. The provincial assembly meeting saw Shahi garner 21 votes, surpassing the minimum required to maintain a majority in the 40-member House. Thirteen lawmakers voted against the motion, while two abstained. This crucial vote of confidence comes three weeks after Shahi initially took office on July 28. His appointment was initially supported by the CPN-UML party, following the resignation of Yamalal Kandel. Shahi, a leader within the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), commands the support of 14 NCP lawmakers and 10 from the UML, including the Speaker. The provincial assembly also includes 15 Nepali Congress lawmakers, an independent former chief minister, and one Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmaker. Speaker Nanda Gurung officially announced that Shahi had secured the confidence of the House. Earlier, Shahi had appealed to all parties, including the Congress, to prioritize Karnali's development challenges, poverty, illiteracy, and geographical remoteness, over political power struggles. The expansion of Shahi's cabinet, which had been pending due to disagreements over ministry portfolios between the NCP and UML, is now expected to proceed following a six-point agreement reached by the coalition partners on Wednesday.

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Karnali’s poverty, illiteracy and geographical remoteness should be treated as the province’s main challenges rather than the arithmetic of power.