The Supreme Court on Sunday stayed the decision to relieve Indira Giri, a member of the Sudurpaschim provincial assembly representing the Nagarik Unmukti Party, of her position.

A single bench of Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut issued an interim order asking the Speaker not to sack Giri as a provincial lawmaker while responding to a writ petition filed by her.

The court ordered not to implement the notice published by the Speaker until a final verdict, citing that the decision to recall the petitioner as a provincial assembly member lacked justifiable grounds. The court expressed concern that such action would hinder the petitioner’s ability to serve as a people’s representative.

On April 8, Giri, who served as the State Minister for Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives in the outgoing Kamal Bahadur Shah-led provincial government, was relieved of her position by Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari.

Ranjita Shrestha, the chairperson of the Unmukti Party, had formally written to the Speaker on April 2 requesting to remove Giri from her position. Giri, who was elected to the provincial assembly under the proportional representation quota, was relieved of her duties as per the request of the party.

A notice mentioning that Speaker Bhandari has relieved the lawmaker of her position as per Section 35 of the Political Parties Act was published by the Provincial Assembly Secretariat.

Sudurpaschim politics grapples with prolonged disagreement persisting between Nagarik Unmukti Party chair Shrestha and her husband Reshamlal Chaudhary. On Sunday, two lawmakers from the Nagarik Unmukti Party staked a claim to the post of chief minister.