The Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) has withdrawn its support to the Sudur Paschim provincial government.
Party leader Ghanashyam Chaudhary said that the parliamentary party made the decision to withdraw support on Friday.
Sudur Paschim Chief Minister Kamal Shah removed Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest, and Environment Rameshwar Chaudhary, who is from the NUP, on Thursday.
Chief Minister Shah dismissed Chaudhary following allegations of financial irregularities in the subsidized distribution of power tillers for farmers.
Accusing the government of humiliating their minister by forcibly removing him, NUP Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha and patron Resham Chaudhary concluded that the party would sit in the opposition both at the federal and provincial levels.
Following the directive from the party chair and patron, the party leader decided to withdraw support on Friday. However, the party’s provincial lawmakers in Sudur Paschim appear divided over the withdrawal of support.
The NUP has seven lawmakers in the Sudur Paschim Provincial Assembly. Three lawmakers were absent from today's meeting, according to NUP lawmaker Khusiram Chaudhary.
Lawmakers Laxman Kishor Chaudhary, Khusiram Chaudhary, and Kailash Chaudhary are against withdrawing support to the government.
"The party's central committee should hold a meeting. The matter should be discussed there. We had asked [the minister] to resign after he faced allegations of irregularities. That would have saved the party's reputation. He did not resign, and the chief minister removed him. This matter should be discussed in the central committee," said lawmaker Khusiram Chaudhary.
"If the central committee had decided to withdraw support and recall the minister, the provincial parliamentary party would have decided accordingly. But here, the leadership does whatever it pleases," he added.
Lawmaker Laxman Kishor Chaudhary also said that he was not present in the meeting and was unaware of whether the party's meeting had taken place. "Since the party leader announced the withdrawal, it must have happened. But I have not gone to the party’s meeting," he said.
