Nepal's PM Balendra Shah Expands Cabinet with Two New Appointments
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Key Takeaways
Kathmandu, April 10 (NationPress) On Friday, Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah welcomed two new ministers into his Cabinet, addressing vacant ministerial roles.
As per the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Ramji Yadav, a lawmaker, has been appointed to oversee the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. This position had been open since the controversial dismissal of former minister Dipak Kumar Sah, who faced backlash for appointing his wife to the Health Insurance Board.
In addition, Gauri Kumari Yadav has been named Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, a role that Prime Minister Shah had personally managed until now.
New Labour Minister Yadav represents the Saptari–2 constituency, having secured his seat through the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Similarly, the Industry Minister was elected from Mahottari–4 during the parliamentary elections on March 5, also as an RSP candidate.
Previously, both ministries had been directly supervised by Prime Minister Shah. The newly appointed ministers are yet to take their oaths from President Ram Chandra Poudel.
With these recent appointments, Prime Minister Shah now heads a 16-member Cabinet, a streamlined composition compared to prior administrations.
Shah's Cabinet was established on March 27 after the RSP emerged as the dominant political force, capturing nearly two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives.
The RSP's remarkable rise, founded in 2022, positioned former rapper Shah—who previously served as the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City—as its candidate for Prime Minister, a strategic choice that many analysts believe resonated with voters.
Since the government took office, the Shah-led administration has initiated various efforts to enhance governance. The ongoing investigation into former Prime Ministers K P Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', as well as businessmen linked to these figures facing money laundering allegations, has garnered widespread approval.