BIRATNAGAR: Following the dissolution of the coalition between the CPN (UML) and the Nepali Congress to form a new power-sharing alliance, preparations have begun to form the seventh government in Koshi Province.

Under the new agreement reached at the center between UML and the NCP (Nepali Communist Party), the leadership of Koshi Province has fallen to the UML. However, internal differences have emerged within the party regarding whether incumbent Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki should continue or whether a new figure should be given the opportunity.

Chief Minister Karki remains confident that his leadership will continue. Meanwhile, CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli has signaled pushing forward Tilkumar Menyangbo, deputy leader of the parliamentary party, as a new face.

According to UML leaders, Chairman Oli put forward Menyangbo from Taplejung as an alternative to current Chief Minister Karki. They claim that on Saturday, July 25, 2026, Oli summoned Menyangbo to his Gundu residence and instructed him to start preparations. Party General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, on the other hand, favors retaining Karki.

Karki and Chairman Oli, who hail from the same constituency in Jhapa, once shared a close relationship. Being a trusted confidant of Oli had previously enabled Karki to secure positions as a standing committee member, party secretary, and a three-time chief minister.

However, leaders state that the relationship cooled down after Karki backed General Secretary Pokharel during recent debates on party restructuring and leadership transition.

Following the party’s general convention, Karki himself sought to become the Koshi Province in-charge, while his elder brother Deepak Karki aspired to be the Jhapa district in-charge. Tensions arose after Oli assigned those responsibilities to Sher Dhan Rai and Romnath Oli, respectively.

Uncertainty regarding Karki’s continuity has heightened after Oli instructed Menyangbo to prepare. Menyangbo stated that discussions with top leadership have been positive and that a decision will be reached within a few days. “I have held discussions with the party chairman,” says Menyangbo. “I received a positive response. Things will be finalized in a few days.”

Karki, however, maintains confidence in his continuation. “An agreement has been reached between the UML and the NCP to move forward together in Koshi. I am already in the leadership of Koshi, so that is settled,” he says. “If there are matters that require change, a party meeting needs to be called.” He added that he is ready to hand over executive authority if the party decides through due process, noting that everything will be settled once the party meeting convenes. Karki, who had been in Kathmandu for a few days, returned to Biratnagar on Saturday evening.

6 governments, 18 reshuffles in four years

As the second term of the Koshi Provincial Assembly reaches four years, the cycle of power-sharing shifts, cabinet expansions, and reshuffles remains ongoing. In the 92-member assembly, six governments have been formed during this period, alongside 18 cabinet expansions and reorganizations.

From the formation of the first government on January 9, 2023, to the latest cabinet reshuffle on January 6, 2026, a total of 44 members of the provincial assembly have served as ministers, with several holding ministerial portfolios multiple times. The upcoming new government will mark the seventh in this term, making it the 19th instance of cabinet formation, expansion, or reorganization.

Hikmat Kumar Karki has been appointed Chief Minister three times within a single term. He was appointed on January 8, 2023; September 8, 2023; and May 9, 2024.

Uddhav Thapa of the Nepali Congress became Chief Minister twice, though both appointments were annulled by the Supreme Court. He was appointed on July 7, 2023, and July 31, 2023.

Nepali Congress leader Kedar Karki led the government for approximately seven months. He served as Chief Minister from October 15, 2023, to May 8, 2024.

To preserve power alliances, ministerial posts were distributed, resulting in 44 lawmakers becoming ministers within a short duration. The pattern of repeating the same faces for second and third terms in the cabinet continues. Pradeep Kumar Sunuwar of the Nepali Congress has been appointed minister the highest number of times, serving four times. Kamal Prasad Jabegu and Rajendra Karki have served as ministers three times each.

Thirteen lawmakers—including Tilkumar Menyangbo, Nirmala Limbu, Jeevan Acharya, and Buddhi Kumar Rajbhandari—have taken the oath as ministers twice each. During this period, a total of 59 appointments have been made for ministers and state ministers.

During the provincial assembly’s first term, Sher Dhan Rai assumed government leadership on February 14, 2018; Bhim Prasad Acharya on August 27, 2021; and Rajendra Kumar Rai on November 2, 2021.

Repeated political realignments have raised questions about the stability of the provincial government. Uddhav Thapa, Nepali Congress Koshi president and parliamentary party leader, remarks, “Frequent changes in coalition equations have emboldened anti-federalist elements. This conveys a negative message to the public.”