The royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party underwent a formal split for the second time in less than a year on Tuesday with the dissident faction of the party “electing” Home Minister Kamal Thapa as the new party president by the “special general convention” of the party.

RPP dissident leaders in the inaugural session of special general convention of its party in Kathmandu, Tuesday, Jan 10 06. nepalnews.com/rh

RPP dissident leaders in the inaugural session of special general convention of its party in…
A national meet of the dissident group in Kathmandu on Tuesday chose Home Minister Thapa as its new leader “unanimously” after senior party leaders Padma Sunder Lawoti and Rabindra Nath Sharma withdrew from the race. Lawoti is the convener of the “special general convention.”

Home Minister Thapa has been alleged of “misusing” government resources to bring in party delegates to Kathmandu from mid-western development region by chartered flights aboard helicopter paid for by the Home Ministry.

In a statement issued Monday, the Home Ministry termed such reports as “baseless.”

Known as an ambitious person with “unstable political nature,” Thapa had also served as Foreign minister during the previous coalition government.

The “special general convention” called by the dissident faction earlier announced that they had deposed party president Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana by majority votes. The dissident group also filed its petition—with “signatures” of a total of 883 RPP delegates at the Election Commission today claiming itself as the genuine RPP. They have also demanded that the EC allot them the party’s official election symbol, plough.

The whole exercise comes less than a month ahead of the municipal polls slated on February 8, this year.

RPP chairman Pashupati SJB Rana (Photo source : thehimalayantimes.com)

RPP chairman Pashupati SJB Rana (Photo source : thehimalayantimes.com)
The row within the RPP escalated after party chairman Rana refused to oblige to the dissident faction that was demanding that the party take formal decision to contest municipal polls. As a ‘compromise formula,’ RPP central committee decided to delegate authority to the party’s district level units to decide on whether to take part in the municipal polls in their respective districts.

The dissident group was not amused. It preponed the “special general convention” of the party, which on Tuesday announced that Rana had been deposed and Thapa was the new chairman of the party.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Rana described the entire exercise as “ridiculous and unconstitutional.” “I don’t want to comment on such so-called meet,” he added.

The RPP’s central committee is meeting at Rana’s residence this evening to assess the situation and chart new strategies for the party’s future. On Monday, RPP led by Rana expelled seven central committee members of the party, including Home Minister Thapa, from the party’s ordinary membership for a period of six years. Three other appointed members of the CWC were also sacked.

Addressing a press meet on Monday, Rana alleged the royal government of trying to bring about vertical split in his party. “It is because we have stood firmly in favour of democracy,” he added.

Early last year, former premier and one of the founding leaders of RPP, Surya Bahadur Thapa, quit the party and floated a new outfit, Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP).

RPP leader Kamal Thapa was actively involved in the establishment of the RJP but he chose to stay back with the RPP at the last minute. Within months, he started campaigning against party president Rana and started openly supporting the royal takeover of February 1, 2005.

His Majesty King Gyanendra appointed Thapa as the new Home Minister in the royal cabinet on December 7, 2005.