KATHMANDU, APRIL 29

Once-upon-a-time notorious gangster and current Gandaki Provincial Assembly (PA) member Rajiv Gurung, also known as Deepak Manange, has been appointed the Youth and Sports Minister of Gandaki Province.

Gurung, an independent candidate supported by the erstwhile CPN-UML, had won from Manang (B) as a Provincial Assembly member for the Gandaki Province in the 2017 elections.

He was sworn-in as the Youth and Sports Minister amid a ceremony today.

In the aftermath of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's move to dissolve the House of Representatives in December 2020, parties in opposition have been engaging in various calculations to topple Oli government while Oli and his supporters have been doing all they can to save their seats.

Currently, ruling CPN-UML has been trying to secure its governments in the centre as well as in provinces while the opposition has forged an alliance of sorts to topple UML governments in provinces- Gandaki Province is not exempt from which.

Manange's appointment is one such move by the ruling party in Gandaki to safeguard and strengthen its position.

Earlier, All Nepal Football Association Kaski Chairperson Milan Gurung had filed a case against Manange for his indecent behaviour.