The third cabinet expansion sees 21 ministers from four parties join the cabinet. NC has been given five ministries and an equal number of state ministers while UML will head six ministries and three state ministries.

MJF leader Bijay Gachchhedar is the deputy prime minister and minister of physical planning and works and CPN ML Dambar Shrestha has been given the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management.

The oversized cabinet has only two women: Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari.

Former Maoist leader Rabindra Shrestha, who later joined the UML, has been given the General Administration Ministry.

The protracted squabble with Madhesi parties over power-sharing continued with the parties not sending any new faces to the cabinet despite three days of continuous negotiations. The PM is said to have agreed to give out the desired number of ministries to the Madhesi parties but they were unhappy for not getting the powerful portfolios they had been demanding.

As per the latest agreement, MJF will get five ministries along with equal number of state ministries, TMLP will have three ministries and two state ministries and Sadbhawana will head one ministry and a state ministry.

Prime Minister Nepal administered oath of office and secrecy to the cabinet ministers in the presence of President Ram Baran Yadav amid a ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Shital Niwas, while the state ministers were sworn in at the PMO, Singha Durbar.

New cabinet

1. PM: Madhav Kumar Nepal (UML)
2. Deputy PM and Physical Planning and Works: Bijay Kumar Gachhadar (MJF)
3. Foreign Affairs: Sujata Koirala (NC)
4. Finance: Surendra Pandey (UML)
5. Defence: Bidya Bhandari (UML)
6. Information and Communications: Shankar Pokhrel (UML)
7. Energy: Prakash Sharan Mahat (NC)
8. Home: Bhim Rawal (UML)
9. Irrigation (NC): Balkrishna Khand
10. Federal affairs, constituent assembly, parliamentary affairs and culture: Minendra Rijal (NC)
11. Local development: Purna Kumar Sherma Limbu (NC)
12. Health and population: Umakant Chaudhari (NC)
13. Peace and reconstruction: Rakam Chemjong (UML)
14. Labour and transport management: Mohammad Aftab Alam (NC)
15. General administration: Rabindra Shrestha (UML)
16. Land reforms and management: Dumbar Shrestha CPN (ML)

Ministers of state

17. Local development: Ganesh Khadka (NC)
18. Peace and reconstruction: Dilli Bahadur Mahat (UML)
19. General administration: Jit Bahadur Dorjee Gautam (UML)
20. Energy: Chandra Singh Bhattarai (NC)
21. Home: Rizvan Ansari (UML)
22. Health and population: Khadka Bahadur Basyal Sarki (NC)

Dewan Rai