Kathmandu, October 28
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has submitted an organisational audit report identifying widespread internal disputes and organisational weaknesses in its Madhesh Province structure, concluding that both provincial and local leaders bear responsibility for the failure to hold party conventions in most districts.
The audit committee, coordinated by party Joint General Secretary Hari Dhakal, was formed in September to investigate why the party had been unable to hold conventions in Madhesh and recommend measures to resolve the problems.
The committee included Organisation Department chief Pramod Neupane, Deputy Spokesperson Surendra Chaudhary, and leaders Ashok Kumar Chaudhary, Jagadish Kharel of Dolakha and Poonam Agrawal.
The party assigned leaders from outside Madhesh to conduct the assessment, saying they would be better positioned to examine the province’s organisational situation objectively.
The team visited all eight districts of Madhesh and held discussions with local leaders and party members. Committee member Agrawal said it found similar disputes across the province.
“The problem is not limited to one district. The same kind of issues exist everywhere. Municipal and district conventions have not been held,” she told Onlinekhabar, adding that the party’s expansion had also raised members’ expectations.
Membership and delegate selection disputes
Disputes over party membership distribution and the selection of delegates prevented conventions from being held in seven of Madhesh’s eight districts. Only Parsa completed its district convention.
The party held its central general convention without first conducting district conventions in Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha and Saptari.
The audit committee concluded that the provincial committee and local leaders were responsible for the failure to hold municipal and district conventions.
Committee member and RSP leader Jagadish Kharel said caste-based politics had also influenced the party’s internal dynamics in Madhesh.
“Politics centred around a particular surname, similar to what we see in older parties, was evident in Madhesh. Politics in the hills and the Madhesh region is different,” he said.
The committee also identified the convention schedule as a contributing factor, saying insufficient time had been allocated for completing conventions at the lower levels of the organisation.
Questions over provincial leadership
The role of Madhesh Province President Tapeshwar Yadav has been a source of criticism within the party. During a discussion between RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane and Madhesh lawmakers, Yadav faced criticism over allegations that he had favoured members of his own community.
The audit committee concluded that the provincial committee had failed to function in accordance with established procedures.
“The committee there also failed to fulfil its responsibilities properly, which contributed to the problems. The disputes appear to have arisen because leaders were unwilling to accept one another’s leadership,” Kharel said.
The committee members also pointed to tensions between long-standing party members and those who joined the RSP shortly before elections.
Kharel said some newer members appeared to have tried to run the organisation according to their own preferences while sidelining earlier members. He also said lawmakers may have intervened in internal party affairs.
Online membership system under scrutiny
The party’s membership registration process was another source of dispute, according to Agrawal.
She said membership details could be entered into the party’s online portal by people other than the provincial general secretary, raising concerns about the reliability of the membership list.
“One name appears on the portal in the morning, but by evening another person has been entered in its place,” she said.
Agrawal also questioned the decision to make party membership free, arguing that the absence of a fee could make it easier for people to join without the level of consideration that a financial contribution might encourage.
Previously, prospective members had to pay Rs 1,000 to join the party, she said.
Local election ambitions add to tensions
The prospect of securing party tickets for the upcoming local elections was another factor contributing to internal disputes, according to the audit team.
Kharel said some party workers and supporters believed local leaders would be responsible for distributing tickets, encouraging more members to seek positions and influence within the organisation.
The RSP has established a candidate-selection process based on primary elections, with prospective candidates assessed on factors including their capabilities, organisational activity, public image, qualifications and performance at the party’s candidate academy.
Applications opened on Bhadra 1 for those interested in contesting rural municipality positions and on Asoj 29 for prospective candidates for municipalities.
The audit committee has recommended holding fresh conventions in disputed areas to establish new committees and resolve leadership conflicts. Kharel said disputes had affected conventions in more than 10 local units.
He said the party should resolve its organisational disputes and complete the Madhesh conventions before proceeding with local elections.
Lamichhane had been preparing to visit Madhesh to help create an environment for holding the conventions, but the visit was later postponed. The organisational audit committee was formed after the party chair’s planned district visits were put on hold.
