Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was ousted from his position on Friday after failing to secure a vote of confidence during a floor test in the House of Representatives, Kathmandu Post reported.

Dahal, who had been in office for over one year and six months, required 138 votes to pass the trust motion but received only 63 votes in his favour. Out of the 275-member House of Representatives, 194 lawmakers voted against him, while one member abstained. A total of 258 lawmakers were present during the meeting.

Dahal called for the floor test in accordance with Article 100(2) of the constitution after the CPN-UML withdrew its support from the government. This decision came following a deal between the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress to form a new coalition, reducing Dahal's government to a minority.

While presenting the trust motion earlier in the morning, Dahal stated his commitment to upholding and defending the Constitution. "The Maoist Centre has made a big sacrifice in the course of making this constitution. Therefore, the Maoist does not make it weak and it also does not allow it to be enfeebled," Dahal said in his address to the House, as reported by Kathmandu Post.

Dahal emphasised the significance of the constitution, which was built on the foundations of a decade-long revolt and subsequent movements by oppressed classes, regions, genders, and communities. He stressed that the Constitution has been protected by the support of the people and will continue to be defended in the same manner. "This constitution, made on the foundation of a decade-long revolt and the subsequent movements of the oppressed classes, regions, genders and communities, has been protected with the support of the people from the streets, and it will be defended in the same manner in the coming days as well," he declared.

This floor test marked the fifth for Dahal since his appointment on December 25, 2022. His first floor test was on January 10, 2023, where he received 268 votes. He faced his second-floor test three months later after breaking ties with the CPN-UML and forming an alliance with the Nepali Congress, securing 172 votes. The third-floor test occurred when Congress withdrew its support following Dahal's renewed alliance with the CPN-UML and other parties on March 4, in which he received 157 votes. Dahal faced his fourth floor test after a split in the Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal, in May, and secured 157 votes again.

With Dahal's failure to pass the vote of confidence, President Ramchandra Paudel will now call for the formation of a new government. Speaker Devraj Ghimire will inform President Paudel of the results. The UML is planning to claim the formation of a new government with the support of over two-thirds of the lawmakers.

According to the agreement between the Nepali Congress and UML, UML chair KP Sharma Oli will lead the new 'national consensus government' for a year and a half. For the remaining term of the current parliament, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba will assume the role of prime minister, Kathmandu Post reported.

(With Inputs From Agencies)