Four RPP ministers resign from government en masse

SHIRISH B. PRADHAN, PTI, 25 February, 2023, Kathmandu, Feb 25, 2023 : Four ministers from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), including the party’s Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Rajendra Lingden who was part of the coalition government, on Saturday submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”.

The RPP decided to quit the government after a new alliance of eight parties, including Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist, Janata Samajwadi Party, and CPN (United Socialist) Party, was formed to back the candidacy of Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Poudyal for the post of the president.

The RPP has however not officially withdrawn its support to the government.

In the council of ministers from RPP, Lingden held the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Vice Chairman Bikram Pandey held the Ministry of Urban Development, and leader Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan held the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.

Similarly, leader Deepak Bahadur Singh was the Minister of State for Energy.

The RPP is the fifth-largest party in the House of Representatives with 14 seats in the 275 member House.

Maoist Center Chairman and Prime Minister ‘Prachanda’ has dealt a blow to the ruling alliance by choosing a presidential candidate from outside.

The presidential election has put a serious question mark on the future of the seven-party ruling alliance.

The term of office of the President shall be five years from the date of election and an individual can be elected for the post of the President only for two terms