Kamal Thapa has announced that he has quit the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

Ever since he was defeated by Rajendra Lingden in the party’s general convention in December, Thapa had hinted at forming a new party.

"I have decided to leave the Rastriya Prajatantra Party with a heavy heart and pain. I have been forced to take this unpleasant decision as I have a strong desire to spend the rest of my active political life within the party and enjoy the party by correcting the ideological deviations and wrong tendencies that have started to appear within the party,” Thapa said in a statement.

Thapa is one of the founders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party that has since its inception advocated Nepal’s return as a Hindu state and revival of the monarchy, which was abolished in 2008.

After losing the party chair post to Lingden, Thapa had accused former king Gyanendra of playing foul.

Thapa has been active in politics for decades. He was the home minister when Gyanendra staged royal-military coup in 2005.

A pro-Hindu and pro-monarchy politician, Thapa also served as a minister in the KP Oli government after the promulgation of the constitution that guaranteed Nepal as a secular federal republic.