KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is once again gripped by infighting, with the internal power struggle showing no signs of easing.
Tensions have intensified following party chair Rajendra Lingden’s decision to relieve senior leaders Nawaraj Subedi, Mukunda Shyam Giri, and Sagunsundar Lawati of their responsibilities.
While General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana and several other leaders have openly rallied against Lingden, Senior Vice Chair Rabindra Mishra, who recently spent 49 days in police custody over allegations related to a deadly protest in Kathmandu, has remained conspicuously silent.
Lingden’s recent actions, viewed as targeting leaders close to former King Gyanendra’s Nirmal Niwas faction, have deepened factional divides.
The ousted leaders have already filed complaints with the Election Commission, challenging the chair’s unilateral decisions. They have also received backing from Rana and central committee member Kunti Shah, further solidifying the opposition bloc within the party.
Despite the growing rift, Mishra has refrained from making any direct public statements. His silence has surprised many, especially given the gravity of the crisis and his prominent role in the party hierarchy. After being released from detention by a Supreme Court order, he has chosen not to comment on the leadership dispute.
On Thursday, Mishra broke his silence only indirectly, via a Facebook post where he shared an old video clip and addressed the current crisis in vague terms.
“Please, don’t pull my moustache too much,” he wrote, hinting at pressure to speak up. “When the country faces a major crisis, national leaders must speak. But when a party faces serious internal turmoil, senior party leaders should exercise restraint.”
He admitted that the party is undergoing a significant internal crisis, but insisted that not all voices are needed at once. “I may not be a national leader, but I am a senior figure in the party. That’s why I will not speak unless absolutely necessary,” Mishra stated.
As Lingden consolidates power and internal dissent escalates, Mishra’s calculated silence adds another layer of intrigue to an already volatile political episode in the RPP, one of Nepal’s few monarchist parties navigating its future in a republican order.
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