KATHMANDU: As the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) holds its maiden general convention in Chitwan from June 21, internal politics is heating up, with a large number of aspirants positioning themselves for the central committee and the future party Secretariat.
Since the central committee itself elects the party Secretariat, leaders will be able to file their candidacies for the secretariat only after winning the central committee election.
General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti says that since only those who win the central committee election are eligible for the secretariat, all leaders must first compete in the central committee race. Bipin Acharya, who is working on drafting amendments to the RSP statute, also has not indicated any change to this rule.
Therefore, it appears that leaders aspiring to become office bearers are obliged to first secure a position in the central committee. According to party information, there are four to five hundred aspirants for the central committee in the general convention, where more than 2,500 delegates will participate. However, the party appears unlikely to reduce the central committee size below 200 members while finalizing the new statute.
Contenders for the Secretariat
After the central committee election, the RSP is expected to move toward consensus-based selection for the remaining leadership positions. Party leaders say they are preparing to hold elections only for positions where consensus cannot be reached. So far, there is no indication that the party is preparing alternatives to party president Rabi Lamichhane and senior leader Balen Shah.
However, since Bipin Acharya, who is leading the draft statute amendment process, has not yet made the final statute public, the exact structure and possible expansion of both the central committee and the secretariat remain unclear.
Party treasurer Lima Adhikari says there is no uncertainty regarding Rabi Lamichhane continuing as party president and Balen Shah as senior leader after the upcoming general convention.
According to Adhikari, it is difficult to clearly identify aspirants for secretariat positions at this stage, as only those elected to the central committee will be eligible. However, internal discussions suggest that many leaders are vying for key posts in the secretariat.
Among the contenders, it appears certain that Rabi Lamichhane will continue as president, Balen Shah as senior leader, and Dr. Swarnim Wagle as one of the vice presidents. However, there are many contenders for the post of female vice president.
Current treasurer Lima Adhikari is in contention for the women’s vice president position, along with former Bibeksheel Sajha Party president Samiksha Baskota, General Secretary Ranju Darshana, Minister for Cooperatives and General Administration Pratibha Rawal, joint spokesperson Basumaya Tamang, secretariat member and Law Minister Sobita Gautam, among others.
Similarly, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Shisir Khanal, and Sunil Lamsal are also being considered for vice chair roles. Lamsal is associated with the Balen faction. There is speculation that if Lamsal is not selected as vice president, Balen may propose another candidate.
Kabindra Burlakoti, from the Rabi faction, has also emerged as a possible candidate for vice president. However, there is also discussion that Balen and Rabi may jointly back Dr. Amaresh Kumar Singh, a leader who has been openly critical of internal party dynamics. When asked, Singh stated that he is not interested in pursuing any position.
Since the party has not yet finalized its statute regarding the number of general secretaries, one of the two expected general secretary positions will likely go to Bhupdev Shah. Other names in contention for the second general secretary include Manish Jha from the Rabi Lamichhane group, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, and Bipin Kumar Acharya.
If current General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti becomes Vice Chair, there are indications that Rabi may promote his close ally Bipin Kumar Acharya to general secretary.
Similarly, there is internal pressure for current spokesperson Manish Jha to retain his position. Meanwhile, Rabi may choose either Pramod Neupane or Deepak Bohara as spokesperson.
For the role of joint spokesperson, names such as Ganesh Parajuli and Yagyamani Neupane are also being discussed. Ramesh Prasai is also considered a possible, though less likely, contender for the position.
Meanwhile, many leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party are seen as aspiring for Secretariat positions, with several of them eager to secure key posts if they make it into the central leadership structure.
Among those aspiring for positions in the party secretariat are Nisha Dangi, Dr. Toshima Karki, Sasmit Pokharel, Sulabh Kharel, Dr. Lekhjung Thapa, Ganesh Karki, Pradip Chandra Pariyar, Khagendra Sunuwar, Rima Bishwakarma, Purushottam Yadav, James Karki, Sushant Bhakta, Ashutosh Pradhan, Kamini Chaudhary, Pukar Bam, Asim Shah, Tika Sangraula, Araniko Pandey, Ashika Tamang, Sagar Dhakal, Ishra Mulla Miya, Hari Dhakal, and others.
Since the new statute has not yet been made public, the current statute is being followed. It provides for one president, three vice chairs (including at least one woman), one general secretary, one joint general secretary, one treasurer, one joint treasurer, and one spokesperson, along with two joint spokespersons.
It is also understood that there will be a 129-member central committee. In addition, the party president is authorized to nominate 22 members, while provincial party presidents will also be included in the central committee. According to top party sources, the size of the central committee may be expanded further through amendments to the statute.
However, since Bipin Acharya, who is leading the draft statute amendment process, has not yet made the final statute public, the exact structure and possible expansion of both the central committee and the secretariat remain unclear.
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