KATHMANDU: Ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has decided to nominate vice-chair Bamdev Gautam to the National Assembly, today.

A meeting of the party secretariat decided to endorse Gautam's name for the vacant position at the NA and asked the government to nominate him for the same.

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Party co-chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's Press Advisor Surya Thapa confirmed that Gautam's name has been endorsed for the vacant NA member position as per the party's decision.

There was a huge ruckus in the ruling party back in February surrounding Gautam's appointment to the parliament. Gautam was then 'courted' by the two warring factions of the party to stand on their sides to strengthen their respective agendas.

Initially batting for the Dahal-Nepal-Khanal faction, Gautam at one point switched sides joining PM Oli. However, he later retracted his ties with Oli and moved back to Dahal faction.

There were even talks of making constitutional amendments facilitating a National Assembly member to become a Prime Minister in a bid to lure Gautam. However, that chapter was closed midway between heightening tension between the warring sides in the party.

Finance Minister Khatiwada likely to exit government

As Gautam will now join the NA, it is likely that Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatriwada will lose his ministerial berth in the coming days.

After resigning on completion of his tenure, he was reappointed the Minister of Finance with continued responsibility of Ministry of Communication and Information Technology by the government, the term for which is nearing expiry.

As per the constitution, the government can appoint a person outside of the parliament as a minister given that the appointee is inducted to the parliament within a period of six months.