KATHMANDU: Bagmati Province Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama resigned from his post on Sunday, following a directive from Nepali Congress party president Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Lama, who served as Chief Minister for one year and nine days since July 23, 2024, announced his resignation during a press conference held at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers in the evening.
In his address, Lama presented a summary of his administration’s progress, expressing pride in having served honestly throughout his tenure.
He also expressed dissatisfaction over being forced to step down due to internal party politics, despite his efforts to deliver results.
Lama, the first Chief Minister from the Tamang community in Bagmati Province, said he resigned after conditional discussions with Deuba. A key demand from Lama was that three ministers he appointed on July 28—Govinda Lamsal (Minister for Internal Affairs and Law), Maya Shrestha (Minister for Youth and Sports), and Geeta Gurung (Minister for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation)—must be retained in the new government.
However, CPN-UML, a coalition partner, had blocked the swearing-in of the newly appointed ministers. According to provincial assembly member Ram Krishna Chitrakar, an agreement was reached in Budhanilkantha on Saturday to include these ministers in the new government, paving the way for Lama’s resignation.
Lama had recently lost the internal election for the party’s provincial parliamentary leader to Indra Bahadur Baniya on July 28. Following that loss, pressure mounted within the party for him to step down.
Party president Deuba summoned both Lama and Baniya for a joint meeting on Saturday to resolve the issue. Lama’s 14 loyal provincial assembly members also attended the meeting, which ultimately led to Lama’s resignation on Sunday.
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