National
Pro-Hindu parties’ unity talks hit snag
The much hyped unity among three pro-Hindu parties hit a snag as talks between two parties fell through on Sunday.Anil Giri
The much hyped unity among three pro-Hindu parties hit a snag as talks between two parties fell through on Sunday.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party led by Kamal Thapa, RPP (Prajatantrik) of Prakash Chandra Lohani and Ekikrit RPP (Rastrabadi) headed by Pashupati Shumsher Rana had intensified talks for party unification. But Thapa and Rana could not find a common ground during a meeting in Kathmandu on Sunday, dealing a blow to the proposed unification deal, said leaders.
Leaders had even booked the City Hall for a unity function on Monday. “I tried my best to convince Rana but my efforts were unsuccessful, at least for now,” Thapa told his party’s central working committee meeting at the RPP headquarters afterwards. Leaders from all three parties had claimed talks between Thapa, Rana and Lohani were gathering momentum and that a merger deal would take place soon. The meeting ended without any headway as both sides stuck to their stance, said party leaders.
After failing to reach consensus, a group of 17 RPP central working committee members demanded the resignation of Thapa for failing to put up a clear agenda on party unity during talks with Rana and Lohani. They boycotted Sunday’s central committee meeting, claiming that the merger process with the Rana-led RPP (Rastrabadi) was forwarded without clarity on the pertinent issues of monarchy and republicanism.
According to the party leaders, Thapa held on to “cow” as the party’s electoral symbol while Rana was in favour of “plough” as electoral symbol of new party. Second-rung leaders of the RPP, the largest of the three, reiterated their demand that Thapa change his working style.
They blamed Thapa for promoting groupism in the party, working unilaterally and not having clear agendas while holding talks with Rana and Lohani.
Having vested power in a select group of people close to him, the disgruntled leaders claim, the party chairman has been disregarding other leaders in the decision making process.
Later at the RPP meeting, Thapa told his party colleagues that he was open to a merger with like-minded parties that share agendas like Nepal as Hindu nation, constitutional monarchy, autonomous local governance and liberal economy for prosperous Nepal.
Rana refused to leave “plough” as electoral symbol and was not clear on political agenda, Thapa said, “Our position on cow as electoral symbol is non-negotiable. Hence, chances of party unity are over.”