KATHMANDU: Janamat Party chair CK Raut has strongly criticized the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) proposal to abolish provincial assemblies, describing the agenda endorsed by the party’s first general convention in Chitwan as “extreme political dishonesty.”
Raut’s remarks came just three days after he praised RSP senior leader and Prime Minister Balen Shah during the party’s inaugural convention.
In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday, Raut said political parties are free to advocate their own agendas, but argued that RSP’s decision to champion the abolition of provincial assemblies amounted to a betrayal of voters.
He recalled that RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane and Prime Minister Balen Shah had campaigned in favor of Madhesh, federalism, and stronger provincial rights during elections. According to Raut, endorsing the abolition of provincial assemblies after securing votes on those promises runs contrary to political integrity.
“Addressing voters in Madheshi languages, promising to strengthen provinces, gaining broad support across the Tarai-Madhesh, and then endorsing the abolition of provincial assemblies is a betrayal of the people,” Raut wrote.
He also rejected the concept of retaining provinces while eliminating provincial assemblies, arguing that provinces without legislative bodies would be reduced to mere administrative units and would fail to uphold the spirit of federalism.
Raut further criticized proposals to form provincial assemblies by including local-level chiefs and mayors, saying such an arrangement would be impractical. He argued that elected representatives already carrying executive responsibilities should not be burdened with additional legislative duties.
The criticism is notable given Raut’s remarks at the opening ceremony of the RSP convention in Chitwan on Sunday, where he openly praised Prime Minister Balen Shah.
Describing Shah as “a leader of a different level,” Raut had portrayed him as a politician who approaches problems differently from traditional political leaders. He said Shah possessed the ability to identify the root causes of issues and seek practical solutions, adding that the prime minister enjoyed popularity across the mountains, hills, and Tarai.
Raut had also described Shah’s rise to national leadership as a positive political message for Madheshi youth and referred to the convention as “a festival of revolution” rather than merely a party gathering.
However, following the convention’s endorsement of the proposal to abolish provincial assemblies, Raut has publicly voiced his opposition, marking a sharp departure from the praise he expressed earlier in the event.
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