RPP likely to support Badal in NA by-election

KATHMANDU: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is inclined to support Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ in the National Assembly (NA) by-election slated for May 20.

At a meeting of the party’s top leaders Saturday, RPP Co-chairman Kamal Thapa apprised other leaders about Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s appeal to the party to support Badal, who is contesting the by-election from Bagmati Province on UML ticket.

The other candidate in the fray is Khim Lal Devkota, who was backed by a political alliance of Nepali Congress (NC), Maoist Center and Madhav Kumar Nepal faction of the UML. Devkota has said he would not back down from the election regardless of the status of the alliance that seconded his candidature earlier.

A source said the RPP in principle was positive on the UML Chair’s appeal. “However, the request is not formal and if the UML officially seeks support, the party was ready to support Badal,” the source said.

The NA seat fell vacant after the Maoist Center took action against Badal for defecting to the UML.