The Rastriya Swatantra Party on Monday inducted 16 new members to its central committee. The committee’s meeting also discussed the latest political developments, expansion of party’s organisations, and the by-election to be held in Chitwan-2, where the party’s chief Rabi Lamichhane had secured a landslide victory only to be later stripped of his parliamentary duty by the Supreme Court. The Election Commission has called the by-elections in the constituency on April 23.

The RSP will now have a 40-member central committee, according to Ganesh Karki, the party’s press coordinator. The members were selected out of as many as 100 names recommended for the nomination, he said.

“Expansion of the party organisation was also discussed at the meeting,” Karki said. “For the by-election, the party will now form an election committee and finalise the candidates through a primary.”

The federal seat of the constituency went vacant after the Supreme Court on January 27 stripped RSP chief Rabi Lamichhane of the post of lawmaker issuing a verdict that the citizenship he had produced to file his candidacy for November 20 elections was invalid.

His position as the party chair was reinstated after he reacquired the citizenship on January 29.

“We have decided to contest the by-election, and will discuss the necessary preparation in the next meeting, which will probably be held next week,” said Kabindra Burlakoti, the party’s joint general secretary.

On January 13, the party’s central committee meeting had decided to expand its organisational structure across the country by May. But owing to Lamichhane’s case, the party was forced to revise the plan. According to Burlakoti, the extended meeting will take place in Hetauda of Bagmati Province on February 19, in Janakpur of Madhesh Province on February 21 and Biratnagar of Province 1 on February 25.

The party earlier held similar meetings in other four provinces—Gandaki, Lumbini, Sudurpaschim and Karnali.

The party has given continuity to its decision to not join the government immediately.

According to Burlakorti, the outfit’s decision of pulling out of the Cabinet while keeping the support remains intact. “However, if a new agreement is reached in the near future, that will be a different case,” he said.

Soon after re-acquiring his Nepali citizenship, Lamichhane had tried to regain the home ministry but to no avail.

Subsequently, Lamichhane withdrew his party out of the government, even though leaders from other coalition partners were ready to allocate another ministry to the party. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal refused to allocate the ministry to his party saying that since a case accusing Lamichhane of misusing passport is pending, allowing him or any other leader of his party to head the Home Ministry will be a matter of conflict of interest.

According to the party insiders, Lamichhane seeks to regain his status as a lawmaker through the by-election. “Though there will be a primary as a process should be followed, party president Lamichhane will most probably be the candidate for Chitwan-2,” said a central committee member of the party.

Lamichhane, however, faces many legal challenges as he moves ahead. The Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu has received complaints that Lamichhane illegally kept dual passports. If found guilty, he will not be able to throw his hat in the electoral ring.

According to section 21 of the Passport Act, one who receives or attempts to get a passport or travel documents by submitting false details can be fined from Rs200,000 to Rs500,000 and imprisoned for one to three years or both.

Section 13 of the Act relating to the House of Representatives formation makes a person guilty of passport misuse ineligible to contest elections. There are similar provisions relating to National Assembly and provincial assembly elections as well.