The Kathmandu constituency-7 is set for a by-election after Nepal Communist Party’s MP Rambir Manandhar resigned from the seat.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli informed the NCP central secretariat about Manandhar’s resignation on Monday.

It is learned that Manandhar gave up his seat to accommodate senior leader Bamdev Gautam, who, after failing to get elected in the 2017 parliamentary election from Bardiya constituency-1, has been allegedly approaching the party’s MPs to relinquish their seats for him.

“PM Oli today presented Rambir Manandhar’s resignation letter to the secretariat meeting, but the party has not taken any decision to field Bamdev Gautam,” a senior party leader said.  

Manandhar, who defeated Rastriya Prajatantra Party candidate Bikram Bahadur Thapa by 8,000 votes to become the MP of Kathmandu-7, said he was ready to follow the party’s instruction.

 “The party could announce its decision at Wednesday’s central secretariat meeting,” he said.

Earlier, Gautam had convinced State Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Dhan Bahadur Budha to quit his seat from Dolpa-1 in exchange for a nomination in the National Assembly after two years. But his bid failed after Dolpa residents protested.

Manandhar was reportedly the 13th MP to be approached by Gautam.

Meanwhile, the opposition party, Nepali Congress, has urged the NCP to announce the by-election so the party could make its own preparations. “The by-election, wherever that happens, would help both Nepal Communist Party and the Nepali Congress to test their strengths on the ground,” said NC Spokesperson Bishwo Prakash Sharma.