Nepal Communist Party vice-chair Bamdev Gautam was sworn in as a member of the National Assembly on Thursday.

Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, the chairman of the Upper House, administered the oath of office to Gautam.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari had nominated Gautam as a National Assembly member earlier in the day.

The government had recommended to the President for Gautam’s nomination to the Upper House as per a Cabinet decision on Monday. The Cabinet decision on Gautam was taken as per the ruling party’s Secretariat decision on September 3.

The ruling party’s decision to take Gautam to the National Assembly has run into controversy because he lost the 2017 parliamentary elections. Critics say the ruling party is following a wrong practice by nominating those rejected by the people to the hallowed parliament.

Gautam is now the second person to become a National Assembly member despite losing the 2017 parliamentary elections.

Gautam was defeated by Nepali Congress’ Sanjay Gautam from Bardiya Constituency 1.

Earlier in January, Nepal Communist Party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha reached the Upper House through an election from Gandaki Province. Shrestha lost the 2017 parliamentary elections to Baburam Bhattarai, the coordinator of then Naya Shakti Nepal, from Gorkha Constituency 2.

In the 59-member National Assembly, the President nominates three individuals. After Yubaraj Khatiwada’s two-year tenure ended on March 3, one seat was vacant in the Upper House.

Khatiwada had to resign as the finance minister earlier this month after the ruling party decided to recommend Gautam for the National Assembly instead of him. Even after his tenure at the National Assembly ended on March 3, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had reappointed Khatiwada as the finance minister. But constitutional provisions say a non-elected person can be appointed a minister but the person must take the oath as a member either of the House of Representatives or the National Assembly within six months of his/ her appointment.

Though Oli wanted to continue Khatiwada as the finance minister, he was under pressure to take Gautam, who is also a Secretariat member, to the National Assembly amid fluid internal dynamics in the party. Oli, however, has already brought Khatiwada back as his special economic advisor with a larger mandate.