Dissatisfied with the recent changes in the Gandaki Province cabinet, Rajeev Gurung, also known as Dipak Manange, resigned from his ministerial post on Monday.

Chief Minister Surendra Pandey restructured the ministry of social development and health and the ministry of industry, tourism, forests, and environment on Sunday to accommodate the alliance partner CPN (UML).

In the power-sharing arrangement between the Nepali Congress and UML, Pandey’s party, the Nepali Congress, was allotted five ministries, while the UML received four.

According to Pandey, independent lawmaker Manange, who previously held the ministry of physical infrastructure, and Phanindra Devkota of the Baburam Bhattarai-led Nepal Socialist Party, who held the ministry of energy and water resources, would be counted among the five ministries allocated to the Nepali Congress. However, Manange, who had previously enjoyed more influential ministries, rejected the offer and resigned, citing the ministry of forests and environment as being powerless.

Speaking to Kantipur Publications on Monday, Manange confirmed his resignation, stating that he had no interest in holding a position merely for ministerial perks.

“I sent my resignation to the chief minister. I am a man of action. What can I do in a ministry that has no power at all?” he said. “The ministry of forests and environment in the province holds no real power; why should I be there to manage crofton weed and mugwort?”

Manange stated that he was not interested in the ministry offered to him and that the tasks assigned could easily be handled by a ranger.

In the meantime, the chief minister approved Manange’s resignation on Monday itself.