Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Bahadur Singh Lama, has announced his resignation during a press conference held at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers in Hetauda on Sunday. Addressing the press meet, he stated that the current situation arose due to his commitment to integrity.
Chief Minister Lama was appointed on July 23, 2024 and assumed office the following day (July 24) after taking the oath of office and secrecy. However, internal conflict within the Nepali Congress (NC) Parliamentary Party led to circumstances requiring his resignation. A no-confidence motion against Lama, who was then the NC Bagmati Province PP leader, was filed with the signatures of 21 lawmakers.
During the voting, 22 lawmakers supported the no-confidence motion, triggering an election for a new PP leader. On July 30 (Wednesday afternoon), a vote was held at the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, where Indra Bahadur Baniya won the elections with 22 votes, defeating Lama by eight votes.
After losing his position as PP leader, Lama was forced to step down as Chief Minister on moral grounds. Although Lama initially resisted, arguing that it would overturn constitutional norms, he ultimately agreed to resign following instructions from NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who urged him to pave the way for a new leadership.
With Lama’s resignation, Bagmati will now see a new government. The newly elected PP leader, Baniya, will assume the role of Chief Minister, becoming the sixth Chief Minister of Bagmati Province.
As per the power-sharing agreement between the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, the Chief Minister position is to be rotated every 20 months. Lama has already served 12 months, and now Baniya will serve the remaining eight months. Following this, Jagannath Thapaliya, leader of the UML’s Bagmati parliamentary party, is set to take over as Chief Minister.
Additionally, when the premiership changes in the central government, UML will claim the Chief Minister’s post in Bagmati Province.
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