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RPP In Crisis
RPP In Crisis
KTM Metro Reporter
July 16, 2017
Kathmandu: Two Rastriya Prajatantra Parties (RPPs) have merged together to form a single RPP in February of this year having the fourth larger number of seats in the parliament. RPP of Thapa has 24 seats and of Rana has 13 altogether making 37 seats: a significant number for such a small party. Chairman of RPP-Nepal Kamal Thapa became the chairman of the new RPP while Pashupati Shumsher Rana and Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani stepped back believing Thapa would run the party properly and appropriately.
However, Dr Lohani immediately found out that Thapa was not doing so as Thapa enforced a “cow” as an election symbol of a newly merged party disregarding the agreement they reached on using the “plow” as the symbol. The symbol “cow” has been that of the Thapa party while “plow” has been that of Rana and Lohani.
Dr Lohani quit the newly formed RPP and set up his own new RPP with a new tail. He embraced other former RPP members that have stayed away both from RPP of Thapa and Rana. Dr. Lohani despite has been for the secular state and republic, then took the Hindu and monarchy as the two main issues for his new party.
The ethnic cadres and leaders in the RPP did not want both the Hindu state and the monarchy. They want secular inclusive Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
Recently, Dr. Lohani went to congratulate former king Gyanendra on his 71st birthday while Rana and Thapa stayed away. Obviously, Dr Lohani has something to do with Gyanendra, most probably for the party support.
Thapa has recently charged Gyanendra for engaging in splitting his party, and in trying to dislocate him from power, according to the local media. Even though Thapa personally did not go to congratulate Gyanendra, Thapa posted a congratulatory note on his facebook keeping a door open to visit Gyanendra.
These RPP guys have been talking about monarchy probably only for securing some funding from Gyanendra. Gyanendra has complained to the well-wishers that it has been late for reinstating the monarchy, according to the local media. So, Gyanendra has no hope of getting back the lost monarchy.
The crisis in RPP developed when Chairman Thapa without informing not to mention consulting with senior leader Rana appointed 42 new members to the central committee. So, Rana vigorously opposed the unilateral decision of Thapa on such a vital matter but Thapa has continued to say that all leaders and cadres need to follow the party decision. His followers said that Thapa had simply used the authority the party vested on him.
Both Thapa and Rana called a separate meeting of party cadres in Kathmandu. How far, they would go together remains to be seen. They have a central committee meeting of the party to be held on July 19.
Probably, Thapa has nominated 42 new members to the central committee in view of the upcoming central committee meeting of the party to have his major voice on the central committee for neutralizing the voices of prominent senior leader such as Rana.
