Kathmandu, May 14:

Rakesh Kumar Gupta and Manju Devi Mandal of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (A) today filed a lawsuit in the Constituent Assembly Court against the party’s Proportional Representation nominees Sarita Giri and Moti Lal Dugar.

Gupta and Mandal are considered close to party general secretary Shyam Sunder Gupta, whereas Giri and Dugar are considered close to party vice-president Khushi Lal Mandal.

Petitioners Gupta and Mandal have made Giri, Dugar, party president Anandidevi Singh and the Election Commission the defendants in the lawsuit.

“The petitioners have sought an interlocutory order to withhold the swearing in of Giri and Dugar in the Constituent Assembly, demanding that the EC’s decision to endorse Mandal faction’s nomination be repealed and Gupta faction’s nomination be held valid,” Nahkul Subedi, registrar of the CA court, told this daily.

Meanwhile, party general secretary Gupta, who is also Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, filed a writ petition in the CA court against Giri, Dugar, party president Singh and the EC. In the lawsuit, Gupta has challenged the EC’s decision to recognise the Mandal-led faction as the authentic NSP (A).

“The CA court did not accept my writ today. If the CA court rejects it, I will move the Supreme Court against the rejection,” said Gupta.