KATHMANDU, April 22: The Supreme Court (SC) is hearing a writ petition lodged against the Gandaki Province government. The case has been assigned to Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Saranga Subedi.

The Nepali Congress (NC) had earlier filed a writ petition against Khagaraj Adhikari, the CPN-UML parliamentary party leader who assumed the role of the chief minister (CM), with the Speaker’s endorsement, in Gandaki Province.

Previously, on April 10, the single bench of Justice Binod Sharma issued an interim order, barring the CM from taking any decisions with long-term consequences.

The bench scheduled a comprehensive hearing for today.

Furthermore, the court directed the government to furnish a written response by April 19 and demanded the submission of all documents pertaining to the appointment of Adhikari as the chief minister.

Outgoing CM of Gandaki Province and Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader, Surendra Raj Pandey, has sought an interim injunction in the petition filed on April 9, seeking to halt the government formation process, which he contends violates constitutional and legal tenets.

It is almost certain that the Gandaki Province government will collapse if the precedent set by the Supreme Court earlier in a case against the Koshi Province government that one cannot become the chief minister with the support of the provincial speaker is referred to. 

 
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