CPN-UML lawmaker Bhim Rawal has taken back his resignation Friday.
Rawal resigned before voting on the floor test sought by Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday over differences with Senior Leader Madhav Kumar Nepal who wanted to and eventually did vote for the government. But Speaker Agni Sapkota hadn't endorsed his resignation.
"I had not resigned in rage or emotion. I had submitted my resignation to speaker at his office in presence of everyone. It would have remained endorsed had it been endorsed at that time. I had not resigned to take it back later. But my resignation was not endorsed. I have stepped back due to pressure from people across the country especially the voters from Achham, ministers from the Far West government, provincial assembly members and other elected people's representatives," Rawal told Setopati after taking back his resignation.
"Leaders, cadres and people's representatives came to my home and put pressure to take it back. I was urged to withdraw from the leadership level of party. I cannot violate the instruction of the voters and the people and well-wishers as I am an individual who accepts the sovereignty of the people. My resignation, therefore, was not implemented in accordance to their instruction."
He refused to answer when asked if he resigned due to apathy by Nepal toward implementing the 10-point deal and pointed it will not be appropriate to comment in a way that can affect party unity when everyone concurs that party unity is the need of the hour.
"I have come to register my resignation to separate myself from this immoral political game," Rawal, who was elected through the first past the post (FPTP) electoral system from Achham-1 on a UML ticket, had said before submitting his resignation.
Rawal has been an acerbic critic of KP Sharma Oli and was coordinator of the task force formed to resolve the dispute in UML from the Khanal-Nepal faction.
Other leaders of the faction had been urging him to take back the resignation and Nepal had reached his residence in Tokha to try to convince him to withdraw the resignation.
(This news report has been updated with Rawal's comments after first publication)
