Kathmandu, July 12: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Friday lost a vote of confidence in Parliament after the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) withdrew its support for his government. Prachanda, 69, received 63 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR). There were 194 votes against the motion.

At least 138 votes are needed to win the vote of trust. Prachanda has survived four trust votes since he assumed the post on December 25, 2022. Nepal Floor Test: PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ To Seek Vote of Confidence on July 12 After Key Ally’s Withdrawal of Support.

Former prime minister K P Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML withdrew support from the Prachanda-led government last week after inking a power-sharing deal with the largest party in the House – Nepali Congress. Nepal Political Crisis: PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Won't Resign Immediately, To Face Vote of Confidence After UML-Congress Forge New Alliance.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has already endorsed Oli as the next prime minister. The Nepali Congress has 89 seats in the HoR, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength of 167 is much more than the 138 required for a majority in the lower house.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)