Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal expanded his cabinet on Friday as thousands of Maoist supporters gathered in the capital for a mass protest against the coalition government.
The Prime Minister administered the oath of office and secrecy to two ministers from the Terai Madhes Democratic Party, a group with support mainly in Nepal's southern plains bordering India.
With the induction of Govind Chaudhary as Minister of State for Education and Chanda Chaudary as Minister for Sports the total members in the cabinet went up to 44, The Himalayan Times online reported.
This is Prime Minister Nepal's eighth expansion of the cabinet amid growing pressure from the Maoists to step down.
Thousands of supporters of the former rebels gathered her today to protest against the 22-party coalition government. They marched through the heart of the capital chanting anti-government slogans, witnesses said.