KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has called a meeting of party office-bearers at his private residence in Budhanilkantha on Monday at 10 a.m.

The meeting will deliberate on the party’s candidate for the chairmanship of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives, as well as issues surrounding Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar.

On August 12, Ramhari Khatiwada resigned as chairperson of the committee after controversies over the “cooling-off period” provision in the Federal Civil Service Bill.

According to Rule 177 (5) of the House of Representatives Regulations, an election must be held within 15 days if a committee chair’s position becomes vacant.

Earlier, both Nepali Congress and CPN-UML lawmakers had collected signatures against Deputy Speaker Rana Magar, accusing her of acting against the dignity of her position. However, disagreements have surfaced within Nepali Congress itself.

Leaders from the Deuba-opposed faction—Dr. Shekhar Koirala, along with General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma—have openly objected to the move against the Deputy Speaker.