Biratnagar, October 10

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairperson Kamal Thapa has clarified his party was not for joining the government right away.

Speaking to journalists at Biratnagar airport today, the RPP chief described his party’s decision to back the government as born out of changed political scenario.

“As a change of guard this time around could affect the elections, we decided to back the government so that the elections are not affected,” he said, adding that his party hadn’t thought of joining the government at this moment. “Let people gossip, but there are really no such plans, at least for now, to induct RPP leaders as ministers by replacing Maoist ministers,” he explained.

Thapa, however, didn’t rule out chances of reshuffling the government. “Though election codes of conduct are in force, I believe we could still reshuffle the government by seeking permission from the Election Commission,” he reasoned, calling the would-be electoral alliance between CPN-MC and CPN-UML natural.

On a different note, the RPP supremo sought a referendum to decide whether the country has to jettison or retain the Hindu state identity. “There has long been a debate whether the country should be a Hindu state. So let the people have a say on this,” he said, adding that such a referendum could be done simultaneously with the upcoming elections.