KATHMANDU: Bahadur Singh Lama of the Nepali Congress (NC) has formally submitted his claim to become the chief minister of Bagmati Province. With backing from 64 provincial assembly members, 37 from the NC and 27 from the UML, Lama presented his claim to Province Chief Yadav Chandra Sharma on Tuesday.

As per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution, Sharma had set a deadline of 5 PM on Tuesday for the formation of a majority government. The province chief's office indicated that Lama, who hails from Nuwakot and represents the Tamang community, is expected to be appointed as Chief Minister later in the day. The appointment marks a significant milestone for both Lama and the NC in Bagmati Province.

The process to claim the chief ministership was initially set for Tuesday but faced delays due to internal issues within the UML regarding ministerial selections. UML leader Jagannath Thapalia and other provincial lawmakers had to travel to Kathmandu, which pushed the submission of the claim to Tuesday.

An agreement between the NC and UML on ministry distribution in Bagmati Province has been reached. The NC will assume 7 ministries, including the chief minister's role, while the UML will oversee 6 ministries, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning.