Actress Manisha Koirala has commented that her grandfather BP Koirala realised that Nepal could progress only when the monarchy and political parties joined hands. But it was too late when he realised it, she said.

Manisha, a renowned Bollywood actress, said there was cordial relationship between her grandfather and King Mahendra and they respected each other.

Granddaughter of Nepal’s first elected prime minister BP Koirala, she has now stood in favour of the pro-monarchy force Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Addressing an election rally organised by the party at Basantapur in Kathmandu on Friday, she requested the public to vote for the royalist force.

“Long ago BP Ba [grandfather] and Mahendra sarkar [king] used to respect each other. But they never got the opportunity to work together and they lost such a great chance for the country,” Koirala said at the election campaign. “Now we have got such an opportunity which we must not lose.”

Koirala clarified that she was standing for the RPP because she was impressed by the personality and speeches of the party’s chairman Rajendra Lingden. “I’m standing here today seeing Rajendra Lingden and listening to his speeches. He said corruption is like drinking mother’s blood. Listening to his speech I felt that Nepal has now got a true leader,” she said. “That’s why I’m here now. Lingden has not forgotten BP and his policy of reconciliation.”