KATHMANDU, July 21: The case against the appointment of KP Sharma Oli, chairman of the CPN-UML, as prime minister of Nepal, has been referred to the Constitutional Bench for further proceedings.

Initially handled by Justice Bal Krishna Dhakal, the case has now been moved to the Constitutional Bench. The writ petition, filed on Monday by advocates Khagendra Chapagain, Shailendra Gupta, and Deepak Adhikari, seeks to annul Oli’s appointment and calls for a new prime minister's appointment under Article 76(3) of the Constitution.

President Ram Chandra Paudel had appointed Oli as the prime minister under Article 76(2) of the Constitution last Sunday. The petitioners argue that after outgoing Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal failed to secure a vote of confidence, the new prime minister should have been appointed according to Article 76(3).

The petitioners demand that the president appoint the parliamentary party leader of the largest party in parliament as the new prime minister. The case names the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Secretariat of Parliament, and the House of Representatives as defendants.