Gyanendra Shahi Says RPP’s ‘Dual Character’ Cost It Public Trust

Dhangadhi: Gyanendra Shahi, a House of Representatives member from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), has said the party faced negative consequences in the election because it failed to operate effectively. Addressing the RPP’s seventh district convention in Kailali on Tuesday, Shahi said the party failed to closely assess public sentiment and expectations.

“Our agenda has not been shelved; however, we failed to run the party properly, and we had to bear the consequences in the election. We could not closely observe the sentiments and expectations of the people,” he said.

Expressing frustration with other party leaders, Shahi noted that leaders who had lost their election deposits were now seeking party positions. “Leaders who lost their deposits in the election want party posts. We fielded candidates whom the public did not trust; that is why the people did not vote for us,” he said.

He emphasized the need for a new political alliance. “There is a need for a new alliance now. The public expected that a new force was needed—rather than the old parties—yet we formed an alliance with those very same old parties,” Shahi said.

Shahi also accused the RPP of maintaining a contradictory stance on the provincial structure. “We showed a dual character; we say the provincial structure should be abolished, yet we field candidates for provincial assembly seats. We should either say the provincial structure will not be abolished, or—if we accept it—ask why we fielded candidates [if we opposed it],” he said.

“At the central level, the only role of provincial lawmakers is to vote for the President—a system we do not want; what we actually want is the monarchy. Having already enshrined the abolition of the provincial structure in the party’s statute, we must not display a dual character,” Shahi stated.

He said the public had lost faith in the party because of this inconsistency. “We advocated for a Hindu nation yet appointed a Christian as a lawmaker; consequently, even Hindus did not trust us. We failed to connect with the people's daily lives, and the time has come for a review,” he said.

Advocating for a referendum on the monarchy and the Hindu nation, Shahi emphasized that the party needs to seriously review its agenda and past decisions.