Kathmandu.  The constitutional bench chaired by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana has refused to issue an interim order revoking the decision to appoint Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Vice-chair Bam Dev Gautam as the member of the National Assembly.

Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) had issued an interim order barring him from receiving additional constitutional responsibilities. The constitutional bench including Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, and Justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Shrestha and Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, has however refused to issue interim order, while hearing the case on Wednesday.

On the recommendation of the NCP, President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Gautam to the National Assembly to fill the vacancy created by the end of Yuba Raj Khatiwada’s term.

There had been widespread criticism on the appointment of Gautam as a National Assembly member as he had lost the last general election from Bardiya-1. Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi had filed the petition demanding an interim order to revoke the appointment of Gautam.

During the reorganization of the Cabinet, Gautam had even expressed his desire to be a minister in Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government. The interim order issued by the Supreme Court restricting further constitutional responsibilities, however, dampened Gautam’s aspirations to become a minister.

The refusal of the SC to issue an interim order has now again made it possible for Gautam to accept other constitutional responsibilities, even that of a minister.