Rana-Chand agreement elates RPP cadres

KATHMANDU: The cadres of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) could not help being happier having seen their top two leaders attending their party’s event together and that also after a hiatus of one and a half year.

At a programme organised by the RPP at its central office in Chabahil of Kathmandu today to welcome three new central committee members, they also reaffirmed the merger of the RPP and the then Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP).

Chand and Rana were at odds since the then party Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa handed over the leadership to Rana.

Chand had claimed that Thapa and Rana breached the agreement of rotational leadership made during the unification of Rana-led Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Thapa-led Rastriya Janashakti Party.

The veteran leader Chand had argued that an agreement was made to handover the leadership to him after Thapa, before Rana and another RPP leader Prakash Chandra Lohani would lead the party in rotation.

Whereas Rana was the official Chairman as per the records at the Election Commission, Chand had garnered support of majority central committee members and claimed himself to be the authorised party boss.

The Chand faction had even applied for official recognition at the Commission.

The dispute, however, was resolved in November after both the leaders agreeing on the rotational mode for the same.

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Speaking at the event, RPP Chairman Rana urged for unity among all the nationalist parties, citing the need for a potent force in the country.

“Time has come to forge unity among the nationalist parties and emerge as an alternative force to the ruling parties,” said Rana, accusing the ruling parties of being a failure in leading the country.

Commenting that the incumbent government was unsuccessful to address the issues related to the Madhes and earthquake-hit persons, he underscored piling pressure from the local level for holding local bodies’ election.

Echoing with Rana, leader Chand also spoke of the need for the emergence of a new political force to address the current crisis in the country.

On the occasion, Deepak Bohora, the RPP General Secretary and parliamentary party leader, shared that the RPP would go into merger with the RPP-Nepal to constitute an alternative nationalist democratic force.

RPP Chair Rana administered the oath to newly appointed central committee members Dil Bikram Rajbhandari, Bindeshower Yadav and Padma Bahadur Tamang.