The Rastriya Swatantra Party has officially announced its candidates for the by-elections scheduled for April 23—party chair Rabi Lamichhane will contest the by-election from Chitwan-2, economist Swarnim Wagle from Tanahun-1 and former senior police officer Ramesh Kharel from Bara-2.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference held at the party’s central office in Kathmandu on Saturday, economist Wagle, who announced on Thursday that he was quitting the Nepali Congress to join RSP, said that it’s high time one entered politics for delivery. He added it is time to change the decades-old practice wherein elderly leaders who had languished in jails for years are rewarded with coveted positions in return for their years-long political struggle.

Representing the constituency of President Ramchandra Paudel indicates the tipping point in the paradigm shift, added Wagle. He also accused traditional parties of engaging in the ‘malpractice of buying and selling election tickets’ which, he said, is promoting bad governance in the country.

“The agenda of prosperity will be dimmed if the focus of the elected leaders is shifted towards recovering the money that was spent in their expensive elections,” Wagle said. “We need to put an end to the role of money, which is hampering good governance.”

On Thursday, Wagle had announced his dissociation from the Congress allegedly due to ‘constant humiliation’ by the party chief Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana Deuba.

Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane while addressing the press conference claimed that his party will become the largest and most democratic party.

“Many other capable and meritorious personalities are in touch with us to join our party,” Lamichhane said. “We will form a two-thirds majority government and ‘subject experts’ will lead the ministries. Corruption and bribery will come to an end.”

Lamichhane went on, “We are not person-oriented, but system-oriented.”

On January 27, the top court had invalidated the lawmaker status of Rabi Lamichhane who had won the election from Chitwan-2, citing that the citizenship certificate he produced at the time of filing his candidacy for the election was invalid. He later reacquired the citizenship.

Speaking at the press conference, former assistant inspector general of Nepali Police, Ramesh Kharel said they don't have the leverage to remain entangled and lost and need to take the country towards good governance. “We need to wake up for the prosperity of the country,” Kharel said. “We need to work together. We need to dismantle the rule of the mafias.”

Kharel was of the view that no one’s future is certain in the country if the culture of exploiting the state's coffers for the benefit of a handful of people isn’t stopped.

Nepal Sushasan Party chair Kharel had previously contested in the November 20 polls from Kathmandu-1. He stood fifth with 3,124 votes, while Prakash Man Singh of the Nepali Congress got elected from the constituency securing 7,143 votes.