Lama Set to Step Down as Bagmati CM After Reaching Deal with Deuba

Bagmati Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama is preparing to resign on Sunday, following a political deal struck with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

As part of the agreement, Lama will step down only if the three ministers he appointed on July 30—Govinda Lamsal (Internal Affairs and Law), Maya Shrestha (Youth and Sports), and Geeta Gurung (Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation), are allowed to continue in office under the next provincial government. Their swearing-in had been halted due to objections from coalition partner CPN-UML.

The deal was finalized at Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha on Saturday in the presence of Indra Bahadur Baniya, the newly elected leader of the NC’s provincial parliamentary party, and other party leaders.

Provincial assembly member Ramkrishna Chitrakar, who attended the meeting, said, “We made it clear the ministers must remain. Both President Deuba and Baniya agreed. CM Lama will resign tomorrow.”

The meeting also addressed internal rifts in the party, which has been divided into two factions. Lama had lost the NC provincial leadership race to Baniya on July 30. His last-minute appointment of three ministers was widely seen as a move to strengthen his hold on power ahead of the vote.

After the loss, pressure mounted for Lama to step aside. Deuba invited him to a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss leadership change. Saturday’s discussion brought together Lama, Baniya, and 14 provincial assembly members aligned with Lama, leading to a consensus on his resignation.