April 16, Kathmandu:  It has been agreed that the leadership of the government in Gandaki province will be alternated between CPN Maoist Center and Nepali Congress.

This agreement was reached when the Maoist Center withdrew its vote of confidence from the CPN (UML)-led Gandaki provincial government. The agreement was reached after discussions with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachand), and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday at the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar.

Top leaders of the two parties included Congress General Minister Gagan Thapa, Maoist Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey, Congress leader Ramesh Ukhar, Congress Gandaki Province Parliamentary Party Leader Surendra Pandey, Maoist Central Parliamentary Party Leader Hari Bahadur Chuman.

Although it has not been decided who will lead the province, Chuman said that for the first time the chief minister will be a Maoist. Earlier, he said that the Chief Minister had become Congress with the support of the Maoists of the Congress and said that now he will be from the Maoists.

He claimed that the government will be led by two parties for half the term and a new government will be formed on May 11. He said that the meeting with the two top leaders has increased the possibility of forming a government under the leadership of Maoists. The Maoist Center withdrew the vote of confidence from the Gandaki provincial government leaving the government on March 10.

In Gandaki Province, there are 35 MPs from Congress, 8 from the Maoist Center (including the Speaker), and 1 from the Unified Socialist Party of Nepal and they have a clear majority to form the government.