Kathmandu, December 16
Defence Minister Minendra Rijal has resigned from his position after he was defeated in the Nepali Congress election to choose the party’s general secretary.
Rijal was one among six candidates during the election held on Monday. As two candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes would be elected, the party’s election commission on Thursday announced Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma as victorious.
Minendra Rijal is in the fifth position among the six candidates.
Following the defeat, Rijal says he feels not appropriate on moral grounds to continue working as the minister.
Rijal had filed his candidacy on behalf of the panel led by Shekhar Koirala. Whereas Koirala was defeated by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba as the party president, another general secretarial candidate, Gagan Thapa, has won the position with the highest number of votes.
