SC order to EC on RPP case

Kathmandu, February 7:

The Supreme Court today ordered the Election Commission, Home Minister Kamal Thapa, new RPP faction leaders Rajiv Parajuli and Padma Sundar Lawati to attend before the apex

court on February 20 to participate in a hearing whether or not to issue stay order

as sought by the Pashupati SJB Rana-lead Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

A single bench of Justice Rajendra Kumar Bhandari issued the order responding to a writ petition filed by RPP leaders including Rana challenging EC’s decision passed on January 24 to hold back the election symbol, a plough, from the both the RPP factions.

The bench ordered all the defendants to submit their written explanations within 15 days on why election symbol was frozen.

The EC froze the election symbol from the RPP after dispute between the two RPP factions emerged.

The EC had offered two symbols — peacock and flower vase — to the two factions headed by Pashupati Shamsher Rana and Kamal Thapa respectively. But Rana-led RPP has decided to boycott election and the Thapa-led RPP has fielded its candidates for tomorrow’s election.