KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Indra Bahadur Baniya has been elected as the leader of the party’s Bagmati Province Parliamentary Party.

In the election held on Wednesday in the provincial capital Hetauda, Baniya defeated Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama to secure the leadership post.

Out of the 37 Provincial Assembly members elected from the Nepali Congress, 22 votes were cast in favor of Baniya, while Lama received 14 votes.

One vote was invalidated. Earlier on Tuesday, a no-confidence motion registered against Chief Minister Lama was passed by a majority during the party’s parliamentary meeting.

Baniya had registered the no-confidence motion against Lama on July 25 with signatures from 21 Provincial Assembly members.

Coincidentally, that same day marked the completion of one year since Lama assumed the post of Chief Minister of Bagmati Province.