The Rastriya Prajantra Party, the fifth-largest party in Parliament, concluded its central committee meeting on Sunday. The meeting focused on contemporary political issues and the party's internal and organisational aspects. The pro-monarchy party plans to hold district conventions by mid-May.

According to a leader close to General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana, when party president Rajendra Lingden presented the party's verbal report, the written document presented by Rana was the topic of discussion in the meeting.

However, Mohan Shrestha, the head of the party's publicity department, denied such a claim. Since Rana was ill, he could not speak at the meeting. Therefore, another leader from the party presented a written document on his behalf. Shrestha said that it was not an alternative document, even if some party leaders tried to portray it as such.

“Out of 300 central committee members, almost 180 spoke at the meeting, nearly 80 percent in favour of Lingden,” Shrestha said.

However, on the first day of the central committee meeting, General Secretary Rana heavily criticised party chief Lingden. He accused the leader of going against the decision of the party's general convention in 2021, which elected Lingden the party chief defeating Kamal Thapa.

On the first day of the meeting, Rana raised 16 questions about Lingden’s working style.

However, a party insider claims that Rana aspired to be a minister when the party joined the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal in early 2023, soon after the November 2022 election. However, when Lingden led the party, Rana was left out.

But, leaders close to Rana rubbish such allegations, saying the leadership had breached party policy. The second-rung leaders of the ruling coalition, of which the RPP was a constituent, had drafted a common minimum programme for the government. Rana represented the party in the drafting committee. The preamble of the initial draft of the common document said that the coalition partners would work together to strengthen democracy (Loktantra) in the country.

The initial draft was handed to the senior leaders of the ruling parties. When the final version of the programme appeared, the term “strengthening democracy” was replaced by “strengthening the federal republic”.

“The party chief should have stood against it since our party champions the Hindu state and monarchy in the country,” a leader said, about the party’s goal of restoring the Hindu kingdom that Nepal’s Constituent Assembly abolished in 2008.

When the party leadership cannot take a stand when it must, the party suffers, the leader said. “Despite claiming ourselves to be alternative political forces, we have lost our credibility. The last three by-election results also indicate the same.”

During the December 1 by-elections for the 41 vacant local-level positions across 32 districts in seven provinces, RPP failed to win any contested post, nor did the party garner a respectable share of votes.

Last October, while party general secretary Rana was undergoing treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India, Lingden removed him as the head of the organisation department. He then appointed senior leader Buddhiman Tamang. Lingden also changed the responsibilities of other senior leaders.

The central committee also discussed the issue. Party leaders including Pashupati Shemsher Rana and Rekha Thapa criticised Lingden at the meeting, the party leader claimed.

The meeting began on Friday in Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu. Initially scheduled to conclude on Saturday, it was extended after most of the members sought to take part in the discussion.