Between 2052 and 2054, there were widespread incidents of buying and selling MPs to maintain power. Five prime ministers became prime ministers in a span of three and a half years. During that period, mainly Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress, Lokendra Bahadur Chand of the RPP, and Surya Bahadur Thapa of the Nepali Congress were involved in buying and selling MPs in order to become and remain prime ministers.

In the game of trust/no-trust against the prime minister in parliament, MPs were kidnapped, financially enticed, sent abroad on government trips at government expense under the pretext of illness, kept in hotels and arranged for beauty salons for MPs, provided financial assistance from government funds in the name of treatment expenses without any compensation, kidnapped, and lured into ministerial positions. These incidents were reported in the media of the time.

In the same context, the issue of UML giving Rs 5 million to RPP to buy MPs was raised by the MPs in the parliament meeting, and accusations were leveled against each other. Similar incidents in the pursuit of power led to a split between the largest party, UML, and the third largest party, RPP, in the House of Representatives. Girija Prasad Koirala became Prime Minister in 2011 with a promise to end good governance and corruption after political instability escalated. Immediately after becoming Prime Minister, the government formed a joint parliamentary investigation committee to investigate corruption.

In the background of the formation of the committee as per the all-party agreement reached on 2011, UML MP Krishna Gopal Shrestha had demanded the return of Rs 5 million that his party had given to buy MPs from the RPP. In the House of Representatives meeting, he cited the information given in the parliament by RPP Chairman Thapa that some UML leaders had sent briefcases to the RPP before the sixth general convention when the Deuba government was toppled. Shrestha had demanded that the records of what RPP Chairman Thapa had said at that time be searched and investigated. MP Shrestha had said that UML leaders had used the money to buy RPP MPs before the split of his party. He had said, ‘If Thapa is truly brave, he should tell the committee which UML party took that money. If necessary, Thapa should be arrested and action taken on this matter.’

MP Shrestha had made this statement targeting ML leaders during the split of UML. The name of UML’s Bamdev Gautam was included in the purchase of MPs. Some said that Shrestha was symbolically expressing anger because he split the UML and became the general secretary of ML. UML leaders had leveled allegations against Bamdev for the procurement of MPs and the management of Surasundari. In the central committee meeting on 13 Falgun 2053, UML central member Ishwor Pokharel, who is considered close to General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, raised serious character questions against Gautam.

Pokharel had made a written statement in the meeting alleging that Gautam had embezzled 30 million rupees from the party, was involved in the procurement of MPs to topple the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government, misappropriated foreign currency, and took commissions by transferring employees. Based on that background, MP Shrestha had symbolically attacked Gautam in the parliamentary House of Representatives. In a statement targeting them, he said that UML leaders should answer the issue of the then leader of MLA Radhakrishna Mainali taking 5 million rupees.

He had said, ‘They (UML leaders) should also inform about the MP purchase scandal.’ Mainali had questioned whether the parliamentary committee could investigate the issue of MP purchase. He had argued that the parliamentary committee would only do the job of weeding and that a judicial committee would be appropriate. The issue of the amount given by UML to RPP to purchase MPs was discussed in Parliament. The news prepared in the context of the MP purchase and sale was published by Kantipur Daily under the title ‘Demand for investigation into the five million rupees given by UML to RPP to buy MPs’ on 25 Baisakh 2055 BS.