A rapid surge of pro-monarchy activities across the country and growing public participation in the rallies and mass meetings in recent days has put pro-republican forces in a fix.

The growing participation of the general public in recent shows of force by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and supporters of pro-monarch and Hindu groups in major cities including Kathmandu also leaves the mainstream political parties including the ruling Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and even the opposition CPN (Maoist Centre) and others in a dilemma—how to contain the rallies.

A level of support for reinstating king Gyanendra, who was ousted from the Royal Palace following the popular uprising of 2006 by the first Constituent Assembly in 2008, is also evident in social media posts.

Leaders of the ruling parties are making statements against and issuing warnings to pro-monarchy forces and even the deposed king to keep to his bounds and respect the political boundaries set in 2008.

On Thursday, addressing a mass meeting in Mahottari, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli told the former king to contest the election and join politics.

“If you think that you are popular, you can constitute a political party and contest elections,” said Oli. “You are welcome to contest the election from anywhere in the country but stop the game of hide and seek.”

In the same spirit, CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal also suggested that Shah can contest the elections and work for the people by winning their votes.

At the same function in Mahottari, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba stated that it was the monarchy that laid the ground for republicanism in Nepal.

“It was his [Gyanendra’s] missteps that paved the way for the republican system in the country because he arrested and tortured leaders, and indulged in undemocratic acts after usurping power,” said Deuba. “Since his action crossed the limits, the republic was set up. So it was Gyanendra who contributed to establishing the republican system.”

The CPN (Maoist Centre) on Saturday abruptly paused its month-long Tarai Madhesh Jagaran Abhiyan across the Postal Highway in view of the surge of the pro-monarchy campaign across the country.

“Serious attempts are being made to dent the republican system with pro-monarchy activities. So we decided to chart out a new strategy to counter these moves,” said a Maoist office bearer. Party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called a meeting of the party’s office bearers.

The RPP has announced it will parade supporters in large numbers in Kathmandu on Sunday to welcome former king Shah, who is scheduled to fly into the Capital from Pokhara, where he has been for two weeks. He attended some crowd-puller events there.

The RPP plans to bring hundreds of thousands of supporters to the rally to welcome Shah. The party hopes it will jolt the mainstream and pro-republican forces into giving the dethroned king some political space.

All pro-monarchy forces will join Sunday’s showdown, Rabindra Mishra, senior vice-president of the RPP, told the Post. “Before it’s too late, the mainstream and other parties should reach a new agreement on how to adjust monarchy in Nepal’s political dispensation.”

Top security officials told the Post that they expect fewer than 10,000 people to join Sunday’s rally even as they expect most pro-monarchy, pro-Hindu and the forces against the current system to show up.

Some RPP leaders said they have no estimate of how many people will join the showdown but it could be over 100,000. “Weather permitting, we will pull on a massive show,” said one RPP leader. “We will receive and welcome the former king at the domestic airport and escort him to Nirmal Niwas via Ring Road, Gaushala, Chabahil, Maharajgunj and Nirmal Niwas where Gyanendra has been living since he left the palace in 2008.

“We will receive the king and escort him to his residence,” said Rama Singh, who has been leading a campaign for the restoration of monarchy in the country.

“The king visited several districts of western Nepal for almost two months where he was greeted by thousands of people. This shows monarchy as an indispensable institution in Nepal. We cannot forget that this country was built by the Shah dynasty. Now the country has reached a situation where it can face any crisis. So again we need a monarchy which can rebuild and remake the country,” said Singh.

Shah is estimated to land in Kathmandu at 3:30 pm. “We estimate 40,000-45,000 people to turn up on Sunday,” said Singh.

Chief District Officer of Kathmandu also held talks with RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden and discussed the security situation. The RPP is said to have agreed to confine its people and those who wish to see and welcome the former king around Tilganga, Gaushala and other open places near the Kathmandu airport.

The RPP leaders are upbeat about public participation in pro-monarchy rallies across the country. The RPP said it wants a “new agreement” between the political parties and the former king where he will have some space or role as the head of state.

“We want a smooth political transition and a peaceful resolution with the parties,” said Mishra. “Time has come for the parties to seriously consider our request.

The RPP is at the forefront of the pro-monarchy movement in the country, with the backing of some other groups and individuals.

The Maoist Centre paused its month-long awareness campaign along the Postal Highway on Saturday. Party chief Dahal also dared Shah to lead a party if he wanted to remain active in politics.

“Gyanendra did stupid things earlier and if he repeats the same stupidity, he will have to pay a huge price,” said Dahal. “People aren’t going to accept him and it’s my humble request to him to stop another stupidity.”

The movement of the former king has already been taken up in Parliament while the Nepali social media landscape is divided over supporting Shah’s aspirations.

“We have felt the need to make ourselves heard in Parliament as our presentation in the House so far appears weak,” Narayan Kaji Shrestha, vice-president of the Maoist Centre, said. “The reason behind the recent surge of pro-monarchy activities is the inefficiency of the Oli government.”

The Maoist Centre also stressed that some decisive but urgent “intervention” in central politics is needed to end the state of instability in the country. “Due to this misgovernance under Oli, regressive forces have once again tried to capture political space,” Shrestha said. “We need to chart out a political strategy to tame those regressive forces.”