KATHMANDU, Dec 20: Seven cabinet ministers close to Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) have resigned from their post after the controversial move of Prime Minister K P Oli to recommend dissolution of the House of Representatives.
They announced their resignation by organizing a press conference in Singha Durbar-- the principal government secretariat-- on Sunday afternoon.
Three ministers of Province 1 resign en masse
Those tendering resignation from the ministerial positions include Minister for Energy Barsha Man Pun, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Shakti Basnet, Minister for Education Giriraj Mani Pokharel, Minister for Labor Rameshwar Ray Yadav, and Minister for Drinking Water Bina Magar. They all belong to the erstwhile CPN (Maoist Center) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who now heads the rival faction within the ruling NCP.
However, Minister for Industry Lekha Raj Bhatta and Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, who earlier belonged to Maoist Center, have chosen not to tender resignation. The two ministers have grown closer to Prime Minister Oli in recent months.
Similarly, Minister for Agriculture Ghana Shyam Bhusal and Minister for Tourism Yogesh Bhattarai have also announced resignation from their post. The minister duos are close to NCP senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.
