Kathmandu: Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Karki is scheduled to face a floor test in the Provincial Assembly on Monday, following a shift in the province’s political equation.

The Koshi Province Assembly Secretariat has listed the confidence vote on the agenda for its 26th meeting of the ninth session, which is set to begin at 1 pm.

Karki decided to seek the vote after the CPN-UML and Nepali Communist Party reached an agreement to work together in the provincial government. As part of the new arrangement, Karki reshuffled his Cabinet last week, paving the way for the Nepali Communist Party to join the government.

The chief minister had earlier said he would not seek a confidence vote as long as the Nepali Congress continued supporting his government. The latest political developments, however, have prompted him to seek formal backing from the Provincial Assembly.

Karki will request the vote under Article 168(4) of the Constitution of Nepal and Rule 128 of the Koshi Province Assembly Rules, 2074.

The 93-member Assembly has 40 lawmakers from the CPN-UML and 17 from the Nepali Communist Party. Together, the two parties command 57 seats, giving Karki a clear majority.

The Nepali Congress has 29 lawmakers, while the Rastriya Prajatantra Party has five, including the Speaker. The Janata Samajbadi Party has one lawmaker.