Gandaki assembly member Devkota expelled for defying party whip

POKHARA: Gandaki Province Assembly member Fanindra Devkota has been relieved of the position defying the party whip.

Nepal Samajbadi Party’s Devkota, who was elected to the province assembly using the election symbol of Maoist Center, had defied party whip to vote in favor of the motion of vote confidence tabled by Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey.

Pandey is the parliamentary leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) in the province assembly.

Maoist Center’s parliamentary party leader Hari Bahadur Chuman had sought a 24-hour clarification from Devkota on Tuesday. Likewise, the Maoist Center’s central committee had also asked Devkota to furnish clarification. The party then took action against Devkota.

Speaker Krishna Dhital read the notice of the decision taken by the Maoist Center against Devkota in the province assembly meeting on Friday. “It is stated in the letter from CPN (Maoist Center) that Fanindra Devkota, who won the election from Gorkha District Constituency No. 2(A) using the election symbol of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), has violated the instructions of its parliamentary party in accordance with the Political Parties Act and has been dismissed from the position of province assembly member,” Dhital said.

Devkota was not present in the ministry on Friday. “I have received information of the action taken against me,” Devkota, who was sworn in as the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Water Supply on Tuesday, said.

Nepal Samajbadi Party’s spokesperson Krishna Sharma said they will seek legal remedy.