KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the CPN-UML’s action against four lawmakers who had given vote of confidence to Karnali Province Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi by crossing the floor.

Following Monday’s hearing in a division bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Prakash Dhungana, the SC ruled that crossing the floor against the decision of the parliamentary party is not conducive to democratic norms and values.

UML’s Chairman KP Oli faction had filed a vacate petition against SC’s interim order that had struck down that the party’s decision to dismiss the four disgruntled lawmakers for disobeying the party whip and supporting CM Shahi’s government.

Stating that the Constitution of Nepal and the law on political parties cannot be considered favorable, the SC validated the UML action taken against province assembly members Prakash Jwala, Ambar Bahadur Thapa, Kurmaraj Shahi and Nanda Singh Budha.

The bench quashed a previous interim order issued by Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut to reinstate them.

While the party conflict was boiling between rivalling Chairman KP Oli and senior leader Madhav Kumar Khanal faction, Karnali province lawmakers close to leader Nepal had defied party whip on April 16 and given vote of confidence to CM Shahi.