Defence Minister Rijal to resign amid apparent loss in NC's general secy

KATHMANDU: Amid the apparent loss in the race for general secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), Defence Minister Minendra Rijal has announced his resignation as the member of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led Cabinet. 

Taking to Twitter on Thursday afternoon, Rijal said that he decided to step down as the minister keeping in view the preliminary results. “I’d tender my resignation to the prime ministers once the final result is announced,” he wrote further. 

नेपाली काङ्ग्रेसको चौधौं महाधिवेशनमा मैले प्रतिस्पर्धा गरेको महामन्त्री पदको प्रारम्भिक परिणामबाट नै स्पष्टरूपमा प्राप्त सन्देशलाई दृष्टिगत गर्दै रक्षामन्त्रीको पदबाट राजीनामा दिने निर्णय लिएको छु। अन्तिम परिणाम प्राप्त हुनासाथ सम्माननीय प्रधानमन्त्रीसमक्ष राजीनामा पेश गर्नेछु।

— Minendra Rijal (@MinendraRijal) December 16, 2021

According to the vote-count tally Rijal, one of two candidates fielded by the Shekhar Koirala panel has secured 365 votes out of 2,120 votes tallied. 

Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma are leading the vote count for the two general secretarial positions of the Nepali Congress (NC). The voting for the NC executive committee was held on Monday. 

Here is the vote count tally 

Votes counted: 2,120 

Gagan Thapa: 1,385

Bishwo Prakash Sharma: 851

Prakash Sharan Mahat: 698

Minendra Rijal: 365

Rajaram Karki: 59