Kathmandu, Nepal, November 10, 2025: CPN (UML) leader Saroj Kumar Yadav has been appointed as the new Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, succeeding the short-lived government of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party's Jitendra Prasad Sonal.
Province Chief Sumitra Subedi Bhandari appointed Yadav as the Chief Minister of Madhesh Province on Monday. The appointment was made in accordance with Article 168(3) of the Constitution of Nepal. This constitutional provision allows the Province Chief to invite the leader of the largest party in the Provincial Assembly to form a government if a coalition government appointed under Article 168(2) fails to obtain a vote of confidence. The CPN (UML) currently holds the most seats in the Madhesh Provincial Assembly.
The appointment follows the resignation of the previous Chief Minister, Jitendra Prasad Sonal, on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Sonal's government, formed on October 15, collapsed after he was unable to secure a vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly within the constitutional deadline due to key coalition partners withdrawing support.
The constitutional process shifted to Article 168(3) after the failure of Sonal’s government, leading to the appointment of the leader of the largest party—CPN (UML)—as Chief Minister.
However, the appointment of Yadav, which occurred at a very early hour on Monday morning (with some reports indicating around 5:20 AM), has immediately drawn sharp criticism. This controversial timing is the source of the "suspicion" mentioned in early reports. Leaders from Madhesh-based and other political parties have publicly accused the Province Chief of acting unconstitutionally and avoiding the due political process. They allege she hastily appointed the UML leader to bypass a claim of majority support that was being prepared by an alternative coalition.
The new Chief Minister Yadav is now required to seek a vote of confidence from the Provincial Assembly within 30 days of his appointment. Given the region's history of political instability, which has seen its fourth government since the 2022 elections, forming and maintaining a stable majority coalition in the fractured 107-member Assembly remains a significant challenge for the new UML-led government.
