Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Kamal Thapa on Friday called on all the political parties to come together for a prosperous Nepal and sought to establish a synergy between the “progressive ideas and traditional philosophy”.

Addressing the first unity general convention of the party, Thapa reasserted his party’s official position—democracy with some space for monarchy and reinstating Nepal as a Hindu nation.

Thapa’s RPP-Nepal merged with Pashutpati Shumsher Rana-led RPP in November last year, and as a united RPP, the party is currently the fourth largest force in Parliament.

Recalling what the late Congress leader BP Koirala had said upon his return from exile back in 1976, Thapa urged all those parties who believe in republicanism not to be anxious about his party’s monarchy agenda.

“Our party firmly believes that monarchy and Hinduism will bind all the Nepali citizens. This will open the door for stability and prosperity,” said Thapa before hundreds of supporters who had gathered in the Capital to attend the convention inauguration of the party.

Responding to Prime Minister and Maoist Centre Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who said a while ago that he felt like “getting closer” to RPP, Thapa said he “is ready to reciprocate”. “I have always held you (Dahal) in high regard, and I believe we together can do some miracle.”

The right wing party has forwarded the agenda of nationality, democracy, Hindutwa and economic liberalism’ through the convention.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli also addressed the RPP’s convention inaugural session on Friday.

The RPP convention, just about three months after the merger, though leaders claimed would send the message of unity, differences did spill over during the inaugural ceremony. And the electoral symbol seems to be major bone of contention.

Former RPP chairman Rana claimed that people had developed some kind of attachment with the plough electoral symbol. But leaders former RPP-Nepal, including Vice-chairman Dhawal Sumsher Rana, said the cow electoral symbol is the binding force.

Dahal, Thapa express admiration for each other

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also the chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre) on Friday found just about a perfect setting to play to the gallery. While addressing the inauguration of the first unity convention of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Dahal said that despite having ideological differences, he always “feels like joining hands with the RPP”.

Ideologically, the Maoist Centre and Thapa’s RPP are poles apart. Dahal’s Maoist party waged a decade-long civil war aiming to overthrow the monarchy and establish a secular republic, while Thapa, who has all along carried the agenda of monarchy, is set to reassert the unified RPP’s agenda of “democracy with some space for monarchy and reviving Nepal as a Hindu state”.

What was quite palpable was Dahal was but paying court to the fourth largest party in Parliament. The RPP with 37 seats can play a crucial role when the constitution amendment bill is put to vote.

Since the RPP has announced that the party’s general convention will also take a decision on whether to remain in the government, Dahal’s saccharine remarks did draw an interesting acknowledgement from Thapa: “We can do a miracle together”.

Stating that he is always in for working hand-in-hand with the RPP, Dahal had said: “I am sure the RPP won’t go far away after the convention.” (PR)