The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday refused to issue an interim order on a writ petition filed by Nagarik Unmukti Party patron Resham Chaudhary challenging the Election Commission’s decision to cancel his candidacy for the upcoming House of Representatives election.

A division bench of Justices Saranga Subedi and Tek Prasad Dhungana refused the interim relief, stating that the matters raised in the petition would be examined and explained in the court’s final verdict.

Chaudhary had approached the apex court on January 23 after the Election Commission (EC) rejected his nomination from Kailali Constituency No. 1 for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5.

The election office had rejected Chaudhary’s nomination, citing his conviction and life sentence, despite the presidential clemency granted to him. The office said the pardon did not annul the court verdict and that records of his crime and imprisonment still stand.

With Sunday’s order, the Supreme Court has left the election body’s decision intact for now, pending a final ruling on the writ petition.