KATHMANDU: Supreme Court (SC) hearing on the writ petition filed against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's move to expand the Cabinet has been postponed.

The single bench of Justice Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada postponed the hearing on the writ against cabinet expansion till tomorrow due to scarcity of time, today.

Senior advocates Dinesh Tripathi, Lokendra Oli and Kesharjung KC had filed the case on Poush 13 (December 28) against the cabinet expansion arguing that PM Oli is a caretaker prime minister for now -- as the House of Representatives stands dissolved -- who does not have the executive power to expand his Cabinet or induct new ministers.

They urged the court to rescind the PM’s decision to expand the Cabinet, arguing that it would increase economic burden on the national exchequer.

Following PM Oli's move to dissolve the House of Representatives, seven ministers close to the splinter group of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal had resigned en masse. After their resignation, PM Oli had inducted nine new ministers in the Cabinet on December 25.