Sitting MPs Lose in Regional Party Conventions

Kathmandu. Sitting chairpersons and members of parliament have been defeated in the regional conventions of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

They had filed their candidacies against the party's circular that prohibited elected members of parliament from contesting in lower committees. So far, leadership has been selected in Bagmati, Koshi, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces.

After a long tug-of-war, in the election held on Saturday night in Bagmati Province, the current chairman and House of Representatives member elected from Nuwakot-2, Dr. Achyutam Lamichhane, was defeated by 2 votes.

The current provincial spokesperson, Utsav Aryal from Makwanpur, won by securing 416 votes. His closest competitor, Lamichhane, received 414 votes.

Balan Bhandari, elected MP from Kavre-2, Badhan Bhandari, Krishna Man Shrestha from Dhading, and Haribahadur Khatri from Ramechhap had filed candidacies for the post of chairman along with Lamichhane and Aryal.

Disputes arose due to voter lists, leadership selection, and errors in the ballot papers, causing the convention representatives to return to their homes. The Election Commission had postponed all activities of the convention due to internal disputes. With other competitors withdrawing their candidacies at the last moment, a tough competition ensued between Aryal and Lamichhane.

Similarly, in the election held in Gandaki Province on Saturday, the sitting chairman and elected MP from Nawalpur, Rajan Gautam, was also defeated. Gautam, who played an important role in building the organization since the party's inception, was defeated by a margin of 52 votes. Naveen Tripathi, elected as chairman, won by securing 234 votes, while his closest rival Gautam received 182 votes.

Likewise, in Lumbini Province, proportional representative MP Manju Gyawali Bhusal was defeated in the election held on Sunday morning. As no one secured a majority in the first round, Shaligram Ghimire was unanimously elected in the second round. In the first round, Dr. Raj Kumar Subedi, Madhu Prasad Aryal, Gopal Ghimire, and Ganesh Poudel had filed candidacies including Bhusal.

In the first round, Shaligram had received the highest 199 votes. Gopal received 87 votes in the second round. With Gopal withdrawing his candidacy and supporting Shaligram, the leadership was selected unanimously.

The convention in Madhesh Province has been postponed due to disputes. The Election Commission has published the convention schedule for Karnali and Sudurpashchim for today and tomorrow.