Bagmati Chief Minister agrees to step down after Deuba intervenes

KATHMANDU: Bagmati Province Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama has agreed to resign from his post following instructions from Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

NC sources say Deuba had instructed Lama to step down and pave the way for the formation of a new government in Bagmati Province when the two met in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Bagmati Provincial Assembly Member Tirtha Lama, who is close to the Chief Minister, said that Lama will resign on Saturday. “The party president has instructed him to resign. He will step down tomorrow,” he told Himal Press over the phone.

Chief Minister Lama lost the election for parliamentary party leadership in the Bagmati Province Assembly to Indra Singh Baniya on Wednesday. Of the 37 votes cast in the election, Baniya received 22, while Lama secured only 14. One vote was declared invalid.

As per the Nepali Congress statute, only the parliamentary party leader can lead the government.

However, Lama had refused to step down, insisting that he could continue as the Chief Minister as per the constitution. He even challenged his rival to bring a no-confidence motion in the provincial assembly to unseat him.

Lama had planned to expand the cabinet on Thursday. However, it did not materialize after Province Chief Deepak Prasad Devkota left for Kathmandu, citing health reasons. Coalition partner, CPN-UML, also sided with the NC’s establishment faction, which wanted Lama to step down.

Chief Minister Lama’s refusal to resign had created a political deadlock in the Bagmati Province, forcing NC President Deuba to intervene.

NC is leading the Bagmati Provincial government in coalition with CPN-UML. On Thursday, top leaders of both parties met at the Prime Minister’s residence to discuss the ongoing crisis in Bagmati.

With Chief Minister Lama agreeing to step down, Baniya has started preparations to form a new government.