KATHMANDU, July 30: Indra Baniya has been elected as the leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) Parliamentary Party (PP) in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly.
Baniya, who also serves as the president of the Nepali Congress Bagmati Province Committee, defeated outgoing leader and Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama in an election that saw 100 percent voter turnout. With his election as the new party leader, Baniya is now expected to lead efforts to form a new government in the province.
Baniya elected President of NC Bagmati Province Committee
In the election held on Wednesday in Hetauda, Baniya secured 22 votes, while Lama received 14. One vote was declared invalid. In the previous leadership election held in 2022, Lama had defeated Baniya to become the parliamentary party leader.
A no-confidence motion against Lama was tabled earlier, and during Tuesday’s vote on the motion, 22 lawmakers voted in favor while 15 opposed. After losing the vote of confidence, the party held a new leadership election on Wednesday.
According to the NC party statute, the parliamentary party leader assumes the role of chief minister. It was under this provision that Lama had previously been appointed to the post. The election of Baniya as PP leader paves the way for him to become the new Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, provided CPN-UML continues to support the NC candidate.
