Prime Minister Sushila Karki expanded her Cabinet for the third time by inducting two new ministers on Sunday. With the latest expansion, the total number of ministers has reached ten.

Karki had earlier said she would limit her Cabinet to 11 members.

On the recommendation of Prime Minister Karki, President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the two new ministers, Sudha Sharma Gautam and Bablu Gupta, at Sheetal Niwas.

Gautam, who served as health secretary from 2008 to 2011, will lead the Ministry of Health and Population, and Gupta will head the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Gynaecologist and obstetrician Gautam remained active in the health sector after retiring from government service, serving as a consultant for various international health organisations.

She is also recognised in literary circles, having authored two books: “Singhadarbar ko Ghumne Mech", based on her experiences and perspectives in government bureaucracy, and “Aprameya”, which explores personal and social reflections.

Gupta, a social activist, is the founder of an organisation called “100 Group”, through which he has been providing free education, accommodation, and meals to scores of underprivileged students in Kathmandu.

He was closely associated with the anti-corruption Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9, which toppled the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition government and installed Karki as interim prime minister.

“There are few chances the Cabinet will be expanded again, but the same Cabinet might work until the election scheduled for March 5,” said a source close to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Karki, who expanded the Cabinet for the third time in less than two months since the formation of the government, courted controversy in the course of picking ministers.

According to the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office had recommended four ministers for the oath of secrecy earlier on Sunday. But only Gautam and Gupta were sworn in, while two others were dropped at the last moment.

Khagendra Sunar, a Dalit activist, and Ganapati Lal Shrestha, who worked for heritage conservation for years, were also poised to become ministers.

But Karki chose to drop Sunar’s name at the last moment after media reports disclosed several controversies and legal cases filed against him in different courts.

Shrestha’s name was withdrawn after differences between the prime minister and Shrestha over the portfolio proposed for him.

Karki proposed Shrestha to lead the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, while he preferred the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, given his years-long experience in the field of culture.

This is not the first time the Karki administration’s Cabinet expansions have courted controversy.

During the second round of Cabinet expansion on September 22, Prime Minister Karki had forwarded the name of Sangeeta Mishra for appointment as health minister. However, her name was withheld at the last moment after the corruption investigation against her came to light.

Mishra was an additional secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population and had resigned from her position after her name was considered for the position of minister.

Later, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a corruption case against Mishra and 14 others.

Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, chief advisor to Prime Minister Karki, said that repeated controversy has arisen during the appointment of ministers due to the lack of a vetting mechanism.

“There is excessive concern regarding the expansion of the Cabinet. Should we reveal the name of the possible ministers beforehand, there are chances of pressure from different groups,” Khanal told the Post. “But when we keep the process subtle and don’t reveal the name to avoid the pressure due to the lack of a vetting mechanism, we may not be able to fully figure out the past engagements of the candidates.”

Also, a land-related case involving Shrestha is reportedly under investigation, and the Prime Minister’s Office halted his appointment, resulting in the cancellation of his swearing-in scheduled for Sunday.

But Khanal said that the exclusion of Shrestha was not due to any other reason but a portfolio issue. Should there be an agreement between the government and Shrestha on ministerial portfolio, he could be included in another round of Cabinet expansion, Khanal said.

Similarly, Sunar was recommended for the position of minister for labour, employment, and social security, but was excluded from the list of ministers after facing criticism. Sunar was found to be on the fugitive list of the Nepal Police, and various cases were registered against him, including charges ranging from contempt of court to polygamy.

“The government withdrew the name of Sunar after multiple controversies surfaced against him,” Khanal said.

According to Supreme Court records, a contempt of court case against Sunar is sub judice. The case was filed by advocate Manisha Gautam, who accused him of verbally abusing high court judges and vandalising court property. The Supreme Court has issued a show-cause order asking Sunar to clarify his conduct.

Sunar also faces separate criminal charges at the Kavrepalanchok and Surkhet district courts. The Kavrepalanchok District Court has issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with an offence under the Electronic Transactions Act.

Similarly, the Surkhet District Court issued another arrest warrant on July 5, 2024, after Sunar was accused of assaulting Dr Sojan Sapkota, chief of Mehelkuna Hospital in Gurvakot Municipality in Surkhet, and vandalising the hospital building. Police have yet to arrest him for investigation and prosecution in that case.

Sunar rose to public attention following the 2020 Rukum West incident in which dalit youths were killed in a caste-based attack. He gained notoriety for his controversial statements and confrontations with authorities.

He had warned of setting fire to the Supreme Court if the verdict in the Nabaraj BK case did not meet his expectations and had issued threats against the court if it upheld a ruling by the Surkhet High Court.

Sunar’s repeated use of personal accusations, inflammatory speech, and misleading claims has drawn widespread criticism from legal professionals and rights activists alike.