Defense Minister Minendra Rijal has announced resignation citing his imminent loss in the election for Nepali Congress (NC) general secretary in the 14th general convention.
"I have decided to resign from defense minister considering the clear message from preliminary results for the post of general secretary I have contested in the 14th general convention of Nepali Congress. I will submit resignation to honorable prime minister immediately after final results arrive," Rijal has tweeted on Thursday.
Rijal is trailing at distant fifth in the election for two NC general secretaries. He contested from the team of of Shekhar Koirala along with runaway leader Gagan Thapa who looks set to finish first with a landslide. But he is trailing Bishwa Prakash Sharma, Pradeep Paudel and Prakash Sharan Mahat by a big margin for the second post.