KATHMANDU: Gita Gurung, a proportional representative from the Janamat Party in the Lumbini Provincial Assembly, has been formally dismissed from her position after remaining absent for 10 consecutive assembly meetings.
The announcement was made by Speaker Tularam Ghartimagar during Wednesday’s assembly session.
According to Provincial Assembly Secretary Durlabh Kumar Pun Magar, Gurung’s position became automatically vacant as per constitutional provisions and the assembly’s rules.
“As she failed to attend 10 meetings in a row, her position was declared vacant in accordance with the law,” he said. The Janamat Party is now eligible to recommend a replacement from its proportional representation list.
Gurung had previously submitted her resignation via email from the United Kingdom on April 13, citing moral reasons and the burden of drawing a salary funded by taxpayers. However, her resignation was left pending by the Speaker due to procedural gaps, including the lack of formal verification.
In her resignation letter, Gurung stated, “It is not appropriate for me to draw a salary from taxpayers’ money, so I resign from my position effective today.” However, it later came to light that she had been residing in the UK for an extended period, raising questions about her continued role as a lawmaker.
Her husband, Kailash Gurung, a central committee member of the Janamat Party, had recently joined the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) under the leadership of Upendra Yadav.
According to party insiders, Geeta facilitated her husband’s entry into the JSP, and both have long been residing in the UK. Following her resignation, speculation grew that she, too, was aligning with the JSP informally.
Gurung was one of the least active lawmakers in the assembly. Out of 61 meetings held during the previous session, she attended only 27, often citing health reasons. Her limited involvement fueled internal concerns within the Janamat Party about her commitment.
Kailash Gurung officially joined the JSP during a party event held on March 23 in Bhairahawa, where he was welcomed by JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav. Alongside him, another Janamat central member, Neelam Yadav, also joined the JSP. However, Geeta Gurung had not made a formal switch, likely due to the legal implication that changing parties would result in the automatic loss of her parliamentary seat.
A senior official from the JSP’s secretariat confirmed that Geeta remains in close contact with the party and is expected to remain active through the party’s overseas committee. “She has decided to settle permanently in the UK, but will remain engaged with us through our diaspora network,” the official said.
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