The Supreme Court has refused to issue an interim order in a writ petition filed by Reshamlal Chaudhary, patron of the Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal, challenging the cancellation of his candidacy by the Election Commission (EC).

A single bench of Justice Balkrishna Dhakal on Sunday ordered the electoral authority to submit a written response to the petition. The court has also summoned both sides for a discussion on the interim order. With the court declining to grant immediate relief, Chaudhary will not be able to contest the election.

Chaudhary had registered his direct candidacy from Kailali-1 for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5. However, the Election Commission cancelled his nomination on Thursday, citing his conviction in the Tikapur incident-related murder case.

Following the rejection of his nomination, Chaudhary approached the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking an interim order to reinstate his candidacy. The commission argued that Chaudhary has been convicted by all three tiers of the judiciary in a serious criminal offence, making him ineligible to run for office under prevailing election laws.

Chaudhary was found guilty in the Tikapur killings case, and despite the cancellation of his remaining sentence through presidential clemency, the Election Commission maintained that the conviction still stands, thereby disqualifying him from contesting parliamentary elections.