POKHARA: Infamous gangster and also a provincial assembly member elect from Manang district Rajiv Gurung alias Dipak Manange upon his release from Dillibazar Sadar Khor on bail, a week ago, filed a written application at Gandaki Province Secretariat on Thursday seeking to take oath as a lawmaker of the province.

Prior to his release, Manange had been serving a five-year sentence since April this year, for attempted murder, following the Supreme Court’s order.

According to Speaker Netra Nath Adhikari, although Gurung’s application has been registered by the secretariat, authorities are yet to decide on whether to let him take up the post of an active lawmaker.

“He has just been released from jail and the decision to allow him to take the oath is a matter of judiciary and we will act as per the law,” the speaker said.

However, legal experts have suggested that administering oath to Gurung would not be possible as the court has granted him bail but his case has not yet been resolved by the court.

Gandaki provincial assembly with 60 seats at present houses 58 lawmakers in absence of Gurung and recent death of another parliamentarian, Tek Bahadur Gurung of Baglung.

Deepak Manange had contested as an independent candidate in the provincial polls following an all-round criticism of news of him running for the post representing the then CPN-UML.