The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) has decided to hold elections for the parliamentary party leader and other officials on Saturday.

A meeting of the party’s presidium on Tuesday also decided to finalise the statute of the parliamentary party on Thursday, incorporating suggestions of the political committee members.

With some lawmakers raising their voice against allowing National Assembly lawmakers to vote in the election of parliamentary party officials, the leaders in the presidium are preparing to consult legal experts on Wednesday. They would then endorse the RJP-N parliamentary party statute drafted by party co-chair and lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna.

The election to the RJP parliamentary party leader had been delayed for four months after Rajendra Mahato, one of the six leaders in the presidium, wished to lead the parliamentary party. Leaders claimed that coordinator of the party’s presidium Mahantha Thakur would lead the parliamentary party.

“We will go through due democratic process to select the parliamentary party leader even if the leaders forged agreement,” said another leader in the presidium, Rajkishor Yadav.

Sources claimed that Mahato had agreed to support Thakur as PP leader but in exchange for additional benefits as deputy PP leader. The party is yet to elect its PP leader, deputy PP leader, chief whip and whip.

A senior leader said Mahato wanted to ensure the role of second in command in the party by contesting Thakur.

“We are trying to elect the parliamentary party leader through consensus and most probably leader will be elected through consensus,” said RJP-N lawmaker in National Assembly Brikhesh Chandra Lal.