Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Bahadur Singh Lama Tamang, has resigned from his post. Lama announced his resignation during a press conference held in Hetauda on Sunday.
Lama, who was appointed Chief Minister on July 24, 2024 (Sawan 8, 2080 BS), under the coalition government of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, led the province on behalf of the Nepali Congress. He took the oath of office on July 25, 2024 (Sawan 9) and served for 374 days.
In the press conference, Lama stated that he was compelled to resign because he could not operate under the influence of power centers and vested interest groups. He emphasized that, constitutionally, there was no requirement for him to step down, and he expressed his commitment to support the upcoming government.
“The constitution still secured my position as Chief Minister, but after broader discussions within the party, I found it appropriate to uphold principles, procedures, and democratic values in politics,” Lama said. “Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, acknowledging recent political developments, requested me to pave the way for a mutually agreeable approach to governance. As a loyal party worker, I have honored that request by resigning today.”
Lama highlighted that his administration had successfully established systems in Bagmati Province and improved governance. He claimed that their progress in development implementation and capacity building was backed by concrete data.
Pressure for Lama to resign intensified after he lost the position of Parliamentary Party Leader of the Nepali Congress in Bagmati Province to Indra Bahadur Baniya. Despite this, Lama had argued that his government, formed under Article 168(2) of the Constitution, did not require him to step down even after losing the party leadership.
Article 168(2) allows a provincial assembly member with the backing of two or more parties to be appointed Chief Minister. Meanwhile, Baniya argued that since Lama no longer held the parliamentary party leadership, he should resign and clear the way for new leadership.
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