Janakpur, Nov. 10 -- Madhesh Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari left Janakpur at 4am on Monday, citing health reasons, and travelled towards Kathmandu.

She was seen off by caretaker Chief Minister Jitendra Sonal, who wished her a speedy recovery.

However, Bhandari later reached Panas Cottage in Bardibas, where she appointed CPN-UML parliamentary party leader Saroj Kumar Yadav as the new chief minister under Article 168(3) of the constitution.

Seven parties, including the Nepali Congress, had been pressuring her to call for government formation under Article 168(2), while the UML had demanded that the government be formed under Article 168(3), staging protests at the province head's office in Janakpur.

At 5:20am, Yadav took the oath...