President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday appointed CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ as the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
Prachanda along with CPN-UML chairman K P Sharma Oli, Rastriya Swatantra Party president Ravi Lamichhane, Rastriya Prajatantra Party chief Rajendra Lingden among other top leaders earlier went to the President's Office with a proposal to appoint him as the new Prime Minister, sources said.
Prachanda has support of 165 lawmakers in the 275-member House of Representatives which includes CPN-UML with 78, CPN-MC with 32, RSP with 20, RPP with 14, JSP with 12, Janamat with 6 and Nagarik Unmukti Party with 3.
Earlier in the day, Prachanda walked out of the Nepali Congress led five-party alliance after Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba rejected his bid to become the Prime Minister in the first round.
Deuba and Prachanda had earlier reached a tacit understanding to lead the new government on a rotational basis.
The swearing in ceremony of the newly-appointed Prime Minister will take place at 4 pm on Monday, according to the President's Office.