Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal leaders including its two general secretaries have started a sit-in at the party headquarters in Babarmahal demanding that the party leadership correct its proportional representation list submitted to the Election Commission. 

Those staging the sit-in include General Secretaries Keshav Jha and Peshal Dhakal, central members BP Yadav, Dipak Jha and Dipendra Agrawal and office bearers of party’s student and youth wing. They are demanding that the party’s PR list must be prepared taking the party leaders rank into consideration. Political parties submitted their PR lists for the upcoming elections on Sunday. According to General Secretary Jha, the agitating leaders are chagrined by the party leadership’s decision to include those in the list who were not even party members. 

Women leaders who have been involved in politics for long have been ignored and the leadership has failed to ensure justifiable representation of youths and student leaders, he said. The agitating leaders have also demanded a Central Election Committee to finalise the candidates for the First-Past-the-Post election system.

On Wednesday, the leaders stage their protest for two hours from noon. They have said they will continue their sit-in until the leadership corrects the PR list. 

We will launch a relay hunger strike after Tihar if the party leadership does not address our concerns, said Jha. Six leaders in the party’s presidium were authorised to finalise the RJP-N’s PR list.