The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) elected its parliamentary party leader on Saturday, more than four months after the formation of the government.
The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) elected its parliamentary party leader on Saturday, more than four months after the formation of the government.
A RJP-N parliamentary party meeting held at Singha Durbar on Saturday unanimously elected coordinator of party presidium Mahantha Thakur as leader of the parliamentary party.
During the meeting, Rajendra Mahato proposed Thakur as the PP leader with support coming from all other lawmakers.
“Neither I nor Mahantha Thakur had announced candidacy for the PP leader. Now, I propose Thakur as the leader of the parliamentary party,” lawmaker Brikhesh Chandra Lal quoted Mahato as saying during the meeting.
Leaders claimed Mahato pulled out of the leadership race scheduled for Wednesday after being advised that the situation was not in his favour.
One of the influential leaders in its six-member party presidium formed after the merger of six different Madhes-based parties, Mahato had challenged Thakur.
Presidium leaders had come under fire at earlier party meetings for failing to elect the PP leader, with the party cadres terming the indecision ‘shameful’.
“We elected Thakur as our parliamentary party leader unanimously. He will select other officials, including chief whip and whip soon,” said Mahendra Raya Yadav, one of the six leaders on the party presidium. Leader Thakur will also nominate the leader and whip representing the party at the National Assembly soon. The party has waived the provision of having deputy leader in the parliamentary party.
The RJP-N has 17 lawmakers in the 275-strong House of Representatives and two in the 59-member National Assembly. Following his election, Thakur said the PP should discuss on presenting the party’s issues at the parliament meetings, including that of Resham Chaudhary and 31 leaders and cadres of the party languishing in prison.
While party co-chairman and lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna proposed the meeting to form a cell to make the party’s final position on the bills presented at Parliament.
The party had formed a three-member election committee comprising Surendra Mahato, Narayan Jha and Nagendra Yadav on Thursday. None of them were present at the election. The PP is yet to make a final decision over giving the voting right to its National Assembly lawmakers in the PP elections.
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.
30.12°C Kathmandu
