Writ petition filed against Gandaki CM Adhikari in Supreme Court

KATHMANDU: A writ petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) seeking the annulment of Khagaraj Adhikari's appointment as the Chief Minister of Gandaki Province.

Surendra Pandey, the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in Gandaki Province and former Chief Minister of the Province, lodged the writ petition, contending that Adhikari's appointment violated constitutional norms by forming a majority government through the involvement of the Speaker of the Province Assembly.

In the petition, Pandey explicitly called for Adhikari's removal from the post of Chief Minister, emphasizing the alleged unconstitutional nature of his appointment.

Highlighting the impartial role of the Speaker, Pandey argued that no political party should be allowed to secure a majority by incorporating the Speaker's support.

The SC is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the writ petition next Wednesday, indicating the gravity of the matter at hand.

It is noteworthy that the SC had previously issued an order, responding to a petition filed by the CPN (UML) against the Nepali Congress in the Koshi Province.

In that instance, the SC ruled that the Speaker's vote should not be counted to establish a majority government, setting a precedent for similar cases.