Sudurpaschim Chief Minister Shah sacks four UML ministers

Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah has dismissed four ministers representing the CPN-UML party, escalating a dispute over the provincial budget. The ministers removed include those for Physical Infrastructure Development, Internal Affairs and Law, and Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives.

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Those removed from the cabinet are Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Surendra Bahadur Pal, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Hira Sarki, Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Bir Bahadur Thapa, and Minister of State for Physical Infrastructure Development Nirmala Devi Saud.

The conflict intensified after the UML rejected the budget introduced by the government it was part of. UML lawmakers registered an expenditure-cut motion and decided to vote against the budget in the provincial assembly. The Chief Minister's Office indicated that discussions on restructuring the government have begun, signaling a potential shift in the political landscape.

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The dispute between the Nepali Congress and the UML escalated after the UML rejected the budget introduced by the same government it was part of.

The budget impasse reached the capital, Kathmandu, with only two days left before the provincial assembly's approval deadline. Chief Minister Shah met with senior Nepali Congress leaders, including party president Gagan Thapa, to discuss the deadlock and the growing rift with the UML. While UML lawmakers accuse the Congress-led government of preparing the budget unilaterally, Shah maintains that sufficient funds were allocated to UML-led ministries. The latest developments set the stage for a possible government reshuffle under a new political arrangement.

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The latest development has paved the way for a possible reorganisation of the Sudurpaschim provincial government under a new political arrangement.