Kathmandu, February 14

National Assembly lawmaker Durga Prasad Upadhyaya, who represented Nepali Congress, passed away today while undergoing treatment. Upadhyaya, 51, had been battling cancer for the past few months.

Son of Jangi Prasad and Sonmati, Upadhyaya was born in 1969 in Rupandehi. He was elected to the National Assembly in 2017 from Province 5. He was associated with the NC since the 1990 movement against the then Panchayat regime. He had always been at the forefront of  major political movements in Nepal.

In local-level elections of 1997, Upadhyaya was elected deputy chairperson of Madhuvani VDC, Rupandehi. He was also elected the NC’s regional president twice in the party’s general conventions of 2010 and 2015. Presently, he was the NC’s general convention representative.

Issuing a statement, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba expressed grief on Upadhyaya’s untimely demise. “Late Upadhyaya had immensely contributed to Nepal’s democratic movements and played a vital role in strengthening the party’s organisation,” said Deuba. “His demise is an irreparable loss to the party.”

The House of Representatives passed a condolence motion on Upadhyaya’s demise today. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was scheduled to address the House today, which has been postponed for tomorrow following Upadhyaya’s demise.