Rabi Lamichhane Urges Voters to Elect Rastriya Swatantra Party Exclusively in Upcoming By-Election
Kathmandu. The Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, urged the public to cast their votes on February 21 in such a way that there would be no opposition party left. Speaking at the 'Declaration of Change' event held at Guest House Ground in Chitwan on Friday, he called for votes for the RSP to push the old parties onto the streets.
“This time, no other party should win even a single seat. RSP here, RSP there. I am not saying this out of prejudice; as a token of appreciation for their historical contributions, they should be made the opposition on the streets for five years,” he said.
The RSP staged a show of strength in Chitwan-2, Lamichhane's constituency, just three days before the start of the silence period. At the program, the party announced that a 'Blue Revolution' would take place in the upcoming election, featuring senior leader Balendra Shah (Balen), whom the party has put forward as the future Prime Minister, Vice Chairman Dr. Swarnim Wagle, candidate and Secretariat Member Hari Dhakal for Chitwan-1, and candidate and Secretariat Member Sobita Gautam for Chitwan-3, all seated together. He asserted that since Chitwan is the birthplace of the 'Blue Chitwan, Blue Revolution,' the bell of change would now ring across the country.
Rabi claimed that 658 days have passed since Nepali Congress Chairman Gagan Thapa said there was evidence in the cooperative fraud case, yet no evidence has been presented. Furthermore, Rabi expressed anger over a police officer visiting his bedroom late at night to ask for his last wish during the execution of the court order to send him to custody in the cooperative fraud case. He urged the general voters to show their response through their votes on February 21.
“It has been 658 days since they said there was evidence against me. It has also been many days since my last wish was asked. I did not answer when they asked in the bedroom, 'What is your last wish?'” he said, “What is my last wish? Show it through your vote on February 21. This is not a country that begs; this is a country that works. We want to set a standard for good governance.”
Rabi dismissed the narrative from the time of the Jana Andolan (People's Movement) where leaders of political parties who were on the state side claimed that the country burned first and then the firing started. He accused the Nepali Congress and UML of being the ones who shot unarmed young children and set the country on fire.
Earlier, senior leader Balen Shah, who gave a short speech, satirically remarked that the country should run like the Wai Wai noodle factory of the Nepali Congress. He stated that the current state of the country is like the Hetauda Cement Factory, abandoned.
“Our country has become like the Hetauda Cement Factory. All the equipment is there, but it doesn't run. Give us the responsibility to run it, and we will run it,” Balen said.
He clarified that the problems he found across the country during his election campaign are similar, and the government formed after the election will address these issues. When supporters in the audience started cheering for Balen, he concluded his speech by saying, “They won't even let me say 'I love you,' man.”
Rabi welcomed Balen in Chitwan. “Welcome to Chitwan, the origin site of the Blue Revolution,” Rabi said. From the stage, Rabi congratulated Balen, who is a candidate for Jhapa-5, in advance.
“From Chitwan, I want to congratulate the candidate for Jhapa-5. Imagining the days to come, I give Balenji a big hug. I will vote for the bell symbol,” Rabi said.
At the program, Vice Chairman Dr. Swarnim Wagle stated that the upcoming election is a massive mandate to displace the corrupt leadership that has been entrenched for a long time.
“This is a massive mandate to displace the corrupt leadership that has been entrenched for a long time. This generation has seen, experienced, and learned what state exploitation the unethical politics of this era can lead the country to. Party mechanisms were used to exploit the state in the name of sister organizations,” he said. “Universities were captured. Hospitals were captured. Organizations were captured. Every body of the state is under the shadow of ineffective parties. Today, I want to state clearly: this reign of plunder will now end, it must end. This syndicate of parties must be abolished.”
Wagle clarified that if the parasitic rule is stopped, half of the country's problems will be immediately resolved, as the old parties are returning with the same structure.
At the program, Hari Dhakal, candidate for Chitwan-1, stated that the upcoming election is a referendum. He said that by winning 151 seats in this election, they will amend the laws.
“The upcoming election is not just an election; it is a referendum. It is a referendum to uproot the status quo politics of the last 35 years. Governments every 9 months, 31 governments. The same person becoming Prime Minister three times, five times. It is a referendum to abolish the status quo style of being a minister twenty times,” he said. “It is a referendum to abolish the situation where creative debate is not allowed in the parliament for 35 years, turning it into a place for insults, a place only for making prime ministers. That parliament will now legislate pending laws with 151 members. Many laws that need amendment will be enacted.”
Similarly, Sobita Gautam, candidate for Chitwan-3, stated that elections are a beautiful practice of democracy. Gautam clarified that if citizens fail to elect the right leadership in this election, the country will suffer.
“Elections are a beautiful practice of democracy. If citizens choose the right leadership in this election, the country will gain a direction. If the right leadership cannot be chosen, the country will not gain direction, but misfortune. It is unnecessary to mention what misfortune the past many elections have put the Nepali people in,” she said.
Asserting that RSP has come to write the future of the country, she stated that a new political era will begin after February 21, ending an old political era.
“February 21 is the election that ends one political era and enters another. It is the election to end a society steeped in corruption and build a society based on good governance,” she said. “Light and darkness cannot stand together. A government led by the youth, Balen, will be formed to end the corruption-ridden leadership. Only then will we write the future of this country. We will write the destiny of this country.”
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
