Janakpur, Oct. 16 -- In a day marked by protests, political wrangling and heightened security, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) provincial assembly member Jitendra Sonal has been appointed Chief Minister of the Madhesh province.

Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari appointed Sonal to the post late in the evening on Wednesday with the backing of 56 lawmakers from five political parties. Sonal is scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy on Thursday.

Sonal's appointment came after days of political wrangling, as the Congress-UML alliance sought to prevent his rise, arguing that the Janamat Party-one of Sonal's backers-had already split.

The appointment followed the resignation of Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh, after which the...