Santosh Pariyar, who served as a secretariat member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, member of parliament and chief whip of the party in the dissolved House of Representatives, has quit the party.

The party confirmed that Pariyar has submitted his resignation paper to the party’s Acting President DP Aryal and General Secretary, Kabindra Burlakoti, on Friday.

Pariyar shared that he is planning to launch a new political campaign, according to a notice issued by the party.

After quitting the RSP, he started political meetings with different political groups, including with Janardan Sharma, who recently quit the CPN (Maoist Centre) and launched the Pragatisheel Rastriya Abhiyan. Both Sharma and Pariyar have now announced plans to launch their own political campaign.

In his letter addressed to Burlakoti, Pariyar expressed satisfaction in the role played as a member of the RSP and alternative politics.

Pariyar has also announced that he will begin a “new, independent, and people-centric campaign”, as per the letter submitted to Burlakoti.

The resignation letter, however, mentions that despite continuous debates within the party, he was unable to establish the party’s ideological foundation.

In the letter, he mentioned that he decided to resign as he felt the need to actively engage in a different kind of political campaign and cited the need to embrace the changing political situation and connect with the post-Gen Z movement.

He also mentioned that while being with the RSP he was unable to develop a party ideology that aligns with the distinct structure and character of Nepali society.

“The historical responsibility of restructuring Nepali political movements, redefining concepts, and reorganising [political] organisations now falls on our generation,” he explains in his resignation letter. “Therefore, embracing the changing circumstances, in this historic moment, I feel the need to actively engage in a different political campaign to truly connect Nepali political movements with the national interest and the people's lives. Hence, from today, I respectfully submit my resignation from any responsibility within the Rastriya Swatantar Party and to cease even being a general member of the party.”

He described the recent revolt of the younger generation [Gen Z] on September 8 and 9 as an important event in Nepal’s political history that overturned the traditional grounds of Nepali politics.

Pariyar concluded that the youth uprising has proven that Nepali politics cannot move forward under the existing status quo and cannot lead into the new era.

He also believed the Gen Z rebellion has played a significant role in shaping the consciousness of contemporary Nepali society. He urged political parties and individuals to think more broadly about the future of Nepali politics.