CPN (Maoist Center) has written to the National Assembly Secretariat on Friday informing that Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa is no longer the party's lawmaker.
"He has already become CPN-UML member. We have already informed that four of our House of Representatives members are no longer our party lawmakers," Parliamentary party leader of Maoist Center in the National Assembly Dina Nath Sharma told Setopati. "Thapa is also no longer a Maoist Center lawmaker."
The party had earlier written for expulsion of Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Industry Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta, Labor Minister Gauri Shankar Chaudhary and Urban Development Minister Prabhu Sah from the House to implement the decision of its standing committee meeting pointing that the four are participating in political activities of another party.
Speaker Agni Sapkota read the name of the four lawmakers during the House meeting on Thursday stating that they have been expelled by the party.
The four subsequently lost their ministership but Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli is set to reappoint them to their respective ministries Friday itself.
Thapa can also be similarly reappointed minister as per Article 78 of the Constitution that allows a person who is not member of the federal parliament to become minister. But the person must become federal lawmaker within six months of taking oath of office.
The five ministers elected on ticket of Maoist Center had decided to join CPN-UML instead of returning to Maoist Center after the Supreme Court on March 7 invalidated unification of the two parties that formed CPN resulting in their expulsion
