KATHMANDU: Top leaders of two major parties -- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML -- exploited the inaugural session of Rastriya Prajatantra Party's general convention here in Kathmandu, on Friday, to exchange sarcasm with each other.

Offering his best wishes to the unified party, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in his speech said if the RPP took up right policy then it could "give a blow" to other parties, except CPN-UML. "This is possible," he wittily said, "Others, beware..."

In response, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur offered a counter-warning to Oli. "Oli jee, beware! RPP had garnered more votes in Jhapa [your home district]," he reciprocated with appropriate wit. The UML chairman, however, had already left the venue.

In Jhapa, RPP-Nepal alone had garnered 11.31 per cent of total valid votes in the PR system. The party's candidate Ram Kumar Thapa had emerged third in Oli's Constituency 7, while Rajendra Lingden was the closest rival to Nepali Congress leader Krishna Sitaula in Constituency 3.

RPP-Nepal, the major constituent of unified RPP, was an ally in the KP Sharma-led government, which was brought down after other allies -- Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led UCPN-Maoist and Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar-led Bijay Kumar Gachhadar -- forsook the coalition in July last year. The Maoist party had joined hands with Nepali Congress to form a new alliance that subsequently formed a new government in August.

In what appeared to be praise of RPP-Nepal for its loyalty to him, Oli apparently took a shot at the Maoist party for betrayal and the arch rival Nepali Congress on the occasion. However, no senior leader of the party had showed up at the function till then.

Oli urged the RPP to fail the proposed amendment to the Constitution.

"Mature leaders"

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who arrived at the GC venue in Bhrikutimandap in the late afternoon, was also all-praise of the RPP and its leaders.

Referring to their role in the Constituent Assembly during its crucial moments, he dubbed the RPP leaders as "mature leaders in the Nepali politics" who, he said, facilitated the promulgation of Constitution despite their differences over certain agendas.

In an indirect reference to the RPP's disposition for revival of Hindu kingdom, Dahal, who recalled spearheading the Maoist war [against the monarchy], said that though the RPP's policy that would be endorsed by the GC was not at a par with his ideologies, he wanted to work together with the party.

"Talking about RPP, I find it close [to me] somewhere, feel like linking up with it. Emotions touch somewhere. Don't go away," he said, in a flattering tone, to conclude his speech.

With the Pashupati Shamsher Rana-led party already on board the Cabinet before the unification of RPP and RPP-Nepal, Dahal has expected support from the unified RPP for the proposed Constitution amendment, which is vehemently opposed by the main opposition CPN-UML.

Leaders of other parties also expressed their best wishes to the RPP for the unity convention.

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