Nepal Communist Party’s Co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has confirmed that there will be no by-election for Kathmandu Constituency-7.

MP Rambir Manandhar is not going to resign, effectively ending Bamdev Gautam’s chance of running in the by-election, Dahal said at an event in Kathmandu on Friday.  

The NCP government would now focus on development activities, he said.

According to some party leaders, Dahal convinced Manandhar to resign from his consituency and pave the way for Gautam to contest the by-election.

Manandhar’s letter to the party leadership, expressing his intent to resign, was read by NCP Co-chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the party’s Secretariat meeting on Monday.

The subject of holding by-election and Gautam contesting it was roundly criticised by the public, particularly the voters of Kathmandu Constituency-7. Even some senior party leaders opposed the idea that eventually led Gautam to back off.

“The context and chapter of Manandhar’s resignation and Bamdevji contesting in the by-election is over. There is no need to take tension on this issue. Bamdevji has already announced that he is not contesting in any elections,” Dahal said.

Many NCP leaders have expressed serious reservations over the by-election deal that was made unbeknownst to the senior leaders of the party. Party sources say that the by-election fiasco has put Dahal in a tough spot, and that he is on a damage control mission at the moment.

When Dahal sang praises of the government on Friday, many saw it as nothing short of an appeasement of his fellow co-chairman Oli.

Progress in addressing perennial issues like taming inundation at Nepal-India border, additional airspace to Nepali flights to India, report prepared by the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal, India relations are the achievements at the bilateral front made by the government, Dahal declared.

He added that under Oli’s leadership, Nepal’s ties with China have strengthened.

Dahal also noted that he and Oli were holding a serious discussion on how to improve the performance of the government and service delivery.