HETAUDA: Bagmati Province Minister for Drinking Water, Energy, and Irrigation, Shyam Bahadur Khadka, has resigned from his post.
He submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama on Tuesday, amid ongoing political unrest within the ruling Nepali Congress.
Khadka’s resignation comes just weeks after four other Nepali Congress ministers stepped down on July 25, citing dissatisfaction with CM Lama’s leadership. On the same day, Lama dismissed all four ministers from his cabinet.
The Bagmati provincial government currently comprises 14 ministries. With Khadka’s departure, only two Congress ministers remain in the cabinet: Hariprabha Khadki (Social Development) and Kundanraj Kafle (Economic Affairs and Planning). Congress had originally held eight ministerial posts, including that of the Chief Minister.
The political crisis intensified after 21 provincial lawmakers submitted a no-confidence motion against CM Lama at the party’s parliamentary office, seeking his removal and the appointment of Indra Bahadur Baniya as the new parliamentary party leader. Baniya also leads the Bagmati Provincial Committee of the Nepali Congress.
Out of 110 seats in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, Congress holds 37. Among the 21 lawmakers who signed the no-confidence motion, 18 were physically present during its submission, while three submitted their signatures in absentia.
However, two of the signatories—Meena Parajuli and Maya Shrestha—have since expressed their continued support for CM Lama, casting doubt on the opposition’s ability to secure a majority.
Under Article 18 of the Nepali Congress Provincial Parliamentary Party statute, a special meeting must be convened within 15 days of the registration of a no-confidence motion. CM Lama is now required to prove he still holds majority support to continue in his role.
The latest resignation further weakens CM Lama’s hold on power and reflects the deepening divisions within the party in Bagmati Province.
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