Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Kulman Ghising, who was also in charge of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, resigned from the ministerial positions on Wednesday.

He went to the prime minister’s official residence at Baluwatar on Wednesday evening to submit the resignation to Prime Minister Sushila Karki.

After returning from Baluwatar, Ghising held a press conference at the Ministry of Energy and made his decision public.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki had reportedly asked those ministers who were considering contesting the March 5 parliamentary elections to resign from their ministerial positions. She gave the instruction after the neutrality of the politically active individuals in the civil government was widely questioned.

In the wake of the Gen Z movement in September, President Ramchandra Paudel formed the interim government under the leadership of former chief justice Karki as a neutral government with the major mandate of holding elections for the House of Representatives on March 5.

Ghising was announced as the patron of the newly formed Ujyalo Nepal Party, which was later merged with the Rastriya Swatantra Party on December 29. The two sides reached an agreement to make Ghising as the Senior Vice-President of the unified RSP.

He quit the Cabinet after serving as a minister for 115 days. Ghising however claimed that he has not formally joined or become a member of any political party.

“Though my name is mentioned in the agreement with the RSP, it has not yet been implemented. I have not taken membership yet,” he added. “Once I formally join the party, I will take membership.”

He said he accepted the ministerial position at the request of the prime minister and with the mandate of the Gen Z movement. “During this time, I have worked honestly for the country. I thank Prime Minister Karki and Gen Z for this opportunity,” Ghising said.