KATHMANDU: Phanindra Devkota of the Nepal Samajbadi Party was appointed as a minister in the Gandaki Province government on Wednesday, following the exit of the CPN-UML from the ruling coalition.

Devkota took the oath of office at 11:30 a.m. after being appointed by Province Head Dilli Raj Bhatt on the recommendation of Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey. He has been assigned his former portfolio of Energy, Water Resources and Water Supply.

The appointment comes after CPN-UML stepped down from the provincial government last week amid criticism over remaining in power despite shifts in the central political coalition. Devkota had previously resigned from the same ministerial position nearly a year ago, citing moral grounds over the suppression of the Gen Z protest movement. His return to the same portfolio under Chief Minister Pandey has raised questions regarding political morality, even as it secures majority support for the provincial government.

Following Devkota’s return, Nand Prasad Neupane of the Nepali Congress, who had temporarily handled the energy portfolio after UML’s departure, has been reassigned to head the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport.

The ruling alliance retains a majority in the Gandaki Province Assembly. Out of the 60 total assembly seats, active strength stands at 59 following the suspension of independent lawmaker Rajiv Gurung, also known as Deepak Manange. The government is supported by 27 assembly members from Nepali Congress, two from Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Devkota from Nepal Samajbadi Party.

Meanwhile, the recent cabinet reshuffle has highlighted a strong concentration of political representation from Gorkha district in both the executive and legislative branches of the provincial government. Out of the six-member cabinet, Chief Minister Pandey, Infrastructure Minister Neupane, and Energy Minister Devkota all hail from constituencies in Gorkha. Speaker of the Gandaki Province Assembly, Krishna Prasad Dhital, is also an elected representative from Gorkha. In contrast, several districts including provincial capital Kaski, along with Tanahun, Myagdi, Manang, Nawalpur, Lamjung, and Syangja, currently have no representation in the provincial cabinet.