Bhagwati Neupane Appointed Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration After Gupta’s Exit

President Ramchandra Paudel on Tuesday, July 15, appointed National Assembly member Bhagwati Neupane as the Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, following a recommendation from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Neupane, a central committee member of the ruling CPN-UML, replaces Rajkumar Gupta, who resigned earlier the same day amid allegations of involvement in a bribery deal.

Gupta stepped down under mounting pressure after the release of an audio recording allegedly implicating him in a bribe negotiation. In a Facebook post following his resignation, he denied any wrongdoing and claimed the resignation was to make way for an impartial investigation.

[Read: Minister Gupta Resigns After Audio Leak Sparks Outrage]

Neupane was elected to the Upper House from Gandaki Province as a candidate of the then Nepal Communist Party, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Bimala Gauchhan in 2020.