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Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has advised Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down and pave the way for forming a new government.

Talking to the media in Biratnagar today, the leader said it would be appropriate for the Prime Minister to resign from the post and pave the way for forming the new government when the government's major coalition partner has already withdrawn its support and left the government.

Claiming that the Nepali Congress' significant contribution to the establishment of a federal democratic republic system, the lawmaker spoke of the need for a constitutional amendment.  The NC is committed to making it happen through the all-sides participation, he added.

"An amendment to the Constitution seems essential to have political stability," he said, adding that the two largest parties in the Parliament - the NC and the CPN UML - are progressing towards the formation of a national consensus government in a special situation.

Ministers representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the coalition government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal would not immediately resign from their posts.

After the discussion with Prime Minister Dahal, they decided not to tender their resignation for the time being.

The RSPm, who reached the Office of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar to submit their resignation today, took the decision to this effect, said Chief Whip of the RSP Parliamentary Party, Santosh Pariyar.

"Prime Minister Dahal told us that he will exercise constitutional rights and face Parliament. We, respecting the constitutional rights, decided to support this government until he faces the Parliament," shared Pariyar.

They urged the Prime Minister to face the Parliament as soon as possible, he said. There are four ministers of RSP in the incumbent government.

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has decided to discuss the issue of Mukul Dhakal, general secretary of the party, gagging himself at the recently-held central committee meeting of the party. RSP decided to discuss the matter in its official meeting hours after it hit the headlines, much to the discomfort of the party.

Dhakal had sought a live telecast while presenting the review report at the central committee meeting. However, as most of the party members reportedly opposed his demand, Dhakal protested by taping his mouth over the violation of the right to expression. 

The party’s secretariat meeting held on Tuesday had decided to allow Dhakal to present the report. But later Rabi Lamichhane nixed the decision, after which joint general secretary Kabindra Burlakoti presented the report.

The RSP’s disciplinary committee has sought clarification from Dhakal for leaking the report to the media.

Dhakal had prepared the report after traveling across 39 districts and interacting with party leaders and cadres in 39 districts as per an RSP directives in the wake of a poor showing by the party’s candidate Milan Limbu in the recent by-elections held in Ilam-2. The idea behind the order was to catch the pulse of the electorate.    

Dhakal’s report has concluded that RSP cannot become a national party if it does not mend ways. 

The report has recommended the party to move forward with independent elected representatives such as Balen Shah and Gopi Hamal to improve its prospects in the next elections.

The Janata Samajbadi Party led by Ashok Rai is to support the new alliance of Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML.

General Secretary of the party, Mohammad Ishtiyaq Rai, shared that the ministers who participated in the current government will resign today and support the new alliance. "Since the current government has lost its majority, the party has decided to move forward according to the new situation by asking the ministers who participated in the government to resign," he said.

The decision will be taken by a meeting of the party's office-bearers to be held today or tomorrow morning. The meeting will review the political developments and decide to support the new government, added Rai.

The party has two ministers and one minister of State in the present government.