KATHMANDU: Rajunath Pandey, Chief of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police, has resigned from his post.

Pandey, who had been active at the metropolitan level as a close aide of Mayor Balen Shah, submitted his resignation on Friday.

He has stepped down to contest the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for March 05, representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

Pandey has stated that he will run from Kathmandu Constituency No. 4, a seat that has been repeatedly won by Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa.

Pandey’s resignation comes amid widespread speculation that Mayor Balen Shah is preparing to contest the election from Jhapa Constituency No. 5. Sources indicate that Balen is also planning to resign from the mayoral post by Saturday or Sunday.

Balen Shah is currently a senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which is preparing to field him in the election as a future prime ministerial candidate.