Bagmati CM Pandey taking a vote of confidence today

KATHMANDU: NOV. 8 – Bagmati Chief Minister Rajendra Pandey is taking a vote of confidence today. He is scheduled to present a motion of no-confidence in the meeting of the state assembly at 3 pm.

According to Krishna Hari Khadka, secretary of the state assembly secretariat, voting will take place today as soon as the proposal is submitted. “The agenda for the no-confidence motion is to be tabled at the meeting convened in the afternoon,” he said. “Probably a vote of confidence will be taken today.”

Pandey was appointed as the chief minister on Oct. 28 after Astalaxmi Shakya, the CPN-UML vice-chairperson resigned as the majority party. Chief Minister Pandey is sure to get a vote of confidence. The coalition has only 59 seats in Bagmati, which has 109 seats including the Speaker. 55 seats is enough to form a government.

The UCPN-M has 23 votes, the Congress 22, the Unified Socialists 13 and the JSP has one. The main opposition CPN-UML has 43 members. While RPP and NCP have 2-2 votes, Bibeksheel Sajha Party has 3 votes. Earlier, Shakya, who was in the minority after the split of the UML, had resigned without participating in the voting process for the no-confidence motion.