RPP expels three lawmakers for joining Bagmati government

KATHMANDU: Three provincial lawmakers from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in Bagmati Province have been relieved of their positions for violating party directives.

RPP Chairperson Rajendra Lingden said the party had removed Bagmati provincial lawmakers Raju Bista, Rajendra Prajapati and Gir Bahadur Tamang from their positions.

He said the lawmakers were removed for repeatedly defying party directives, violating the party whip and joining the provincial government against the decision of the party’s Central Committee.

“Since the RPP Central Work Execution Committee has decided to remove the three as provincial assembly members and declare their positions vacant basedon the recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee, as they were involved in supporting the government or joining the government in contrary to the decisions and directives of the party, in violation of Article 30(d) of the RPP Statute, I request that their positions be declared vacant,” Lingden said in the letter addressed to Speaker of Bagmati Province.

Earlier, the party had removed its parliamentary party leader in Bagmati, Uddhav Thapa, from office after he defied party orders by extending RPP’s support to CPN-UML’s Kiran Thapa to form the provincial government.

Meanwhile, the Patan High Court has declined to issue a stay order against the appointment of Kiran Thapa as Bagmati Chief Minister.

However, the high court’s Hetauda bench issued a show-cause notice directing the defendants to explain why a stay order should not be granted as requested by the petitioners.

A single bench of High Court Judge Babita Upreti issued the order, directing the defendants to submit a written response within 15 days, according to Deputy Registrar Badri Prasad Lamichhane.

Two separate petitions have been lodged at the high court, challenging the appointment of Thapa as the chief minister.

The meeting of the Bagmati Province Assembly, originally called for 1 p.m. on Monday for the purpose of taking a vote of confidence, was rescheduled for 5 pm. After the meeting failed to convene at the scheduled time, it was rescheduled for 8 p.m.  However, the meeting did not convene at the scheduled time.

The meeting has now been rescheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.