With the approval of ambassador Deep Kumar Upadhyay’s resignation, Nepal’s mission in New Delhi, considered a major diplomatic outpost of Kathmandu, has been vacant once again.

The Cabinet approved his resignation on October 13, outgoing Chief Secretary Rajendra Kishor Chhetri confirmed. Upadhyay put in his papers in the first week of October with an aim to contest in the upcoming federal parliamentary elections from his home district Kapilvastu. His party Nepali Congress, however, has yet to take a decision in his favour.

Upadhyay, a former minister, was appointed the envoy to India twice. A senior NC leader said the party had not decided whether to field him in the race as discussion on seat allocation has yet to begin.

Upadhyay told the Post that he had got a go-ahead from top party leaders including NC President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba before quitting his diplomatic assignment.

The process to appoint a new ambassador in New Delhi has not begun, sources said. Since New Delhi is an important mission for Nepal, it should not remain vacant for long. “But due to elections and other reasons, we don’t think the vacancy will be filled soon,” a senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The NC leadership is divided over his candidacy from Kapilvastu. “It’s not wise to give chances to one man all the time. So one section of the party is against his candidacy,” said the NC source. But some say Upadhyay “deserves to win”. It would take some more time to decide his fate, said the NC leader. The ex-envoy’s name has not been recommended for Kapilvastu-1.

Appointed on the Congress quota by the Sushil Koirala-led government in April, 2015, Upadhyay was recalled by the subsequent government headed by CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in May 2016 on the charge of working against the regime.

He was reappointed to the post by the following government led by CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Pushpa Kamal Dahal in September, 2016.