KATHMANDU: Prime Minister and Parliamentary Party Leader Balendra Shah on Friday participated in the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) parliamentary party meeting held at Singha Durbar, where the party finalized its stance for the upcoming Deputy Speaker election.
The meeting formally decided to support Ruby Kumari Thakur, the 25-year-old candidate from the Shram Sanskriti Party, for the post of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Thakur, an MP from Dhanusha, has reportedly emerged as the consensus candidate with the backing of the RSP following Prime Minister Shah’s proactive efforts to coordinate with Shram Sanskriti Party Chair Harka Sampang.
This marks a significant shift in the ruling party’s strategy. While RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichhane had initially considered supporting the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) for the position, the party ultimately moved toward Thakur.
The decision was solidified during the Friday meeting, which saw a rare attendance from Prime Minister Shah. This is only the second time the Prime Minister has attended an RSP parliamentary party meeting since his selection as the party’s leader on March 26.
Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and other senior leaders also attended the session at Singha Durbar.
The election for the Deputy Speaker is being held following the unopposed election of RSP’s Dol Prasad Aryal as Speaker, a move that necessitated the selection of a Deputy Speaker from a different political entity as per constitutional requirements. Under Article 91 of the Constitution, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker must represent different parties and different genders.
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