Writ petition lodged in apex court against Gandaki govt

KATHMANDU: A writ petition has been filed against the formation of government in Gandaki Province in the Supreme Court.

Surendra Raj Pandey, the parliamentary leader of the Nepali Congress in the Gandaki Province Assembly, lodged the writ petition on Tuesday. The case has been scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday.

Should the apex court issue an interim order, as requested by the petitioner, following a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, the UML-Maoist Center coalition government led by UML’s parliamentary party leader Khagaraj Adhikari could collapse. However, if the interim order is not granted, Adhikari’s government will remain in power until the final verdict is delivered by the apex court.

In his writ petition, Pandey has called for an interim order to halt the government formation process, which he alleges is unconstitutional and illegal. He also stated in the petition that Province Chief Dilli Raj Bhatta acted against the letter he had issued in accordance with the constitution.

Pandey contends that Adhikari’s appointment as chief minister, despite lacking the majority stipulated by Article 168 (2) of the constitution, indicates that the Province Chief disregarded his official decorum and the constitution.

Citing the precedent of a similar case related to government formation in Koshi Province, Pandey has also demanded his continuity as the Chief Minister.