In a major setback for Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, the Supreme Court of Nepal has on Monday reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives, for the second time in nearly five months. The apex court has also ordered appointment of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba as the new prime minister within two days.

A five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana had concluded hearings in the case last week. The bench comprised four other senior most justices of the apex court -- Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai.

Reacting to SC's decision CPN-UML spokesperson and former foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali told Times of India that the order is unexpected and contrary to fundamental principles of the Constitution.

He said, "Wrong and unjustifiable but will abide by it."

It should be noted that Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the 275-member lower house for the second time in five months on 22 May at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli. She had also announced snap elections on 12 November and 19 November.

The Election Commission in the country had announced the schedule for mid-term elections last week amidst uncertainty over polls. Over 30 petitions, including one by the opposition alliance led by the Nepali Congress, were filed against the dissolution of the House by the President.