Nepal, May 8 -- The deadline given by the Provincial Assembly to Koshi chief minister Kedar Karki to either seek a vote of confidence or resign expired on Tuesday. The assembly had given Karki a month (counting from the day the coalition partners withdrew their support) to take a decision.

The change in the federal coalition on March 4, with the CPN-UML taking the place of the Nepali Congress in the ruling alliance, changed the power equation in the provincial government and Karki lost his majority in the provincial assembly.

Karki, a leader of the dissident faction of the Congress, was appointed chief minister with the support of the UML on October 14. Later, he also got the support of the establishment (Deuba) faction of the Congress,...