Spread the love

Kathmandu, Dec 25: Kamal Thapa will return to Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) following a deal with RPP chair Rajendra Lingden, a report suggests.

Former RPP Chair Thapa, who revived RPP-Nepal after leaving RPP after losing the RPP party chair contest against Lingden a few years ago, finally decided to return to his old party fold.

Thapa had wanted to return to RPP long ago. For nearly two years, he sought to merge RPP Nepal, the party he led, into the parent party. RPP chair Rajendra Lingden showed little interest at first. Their rivalry dated back to November 2021, when Lingden defeated Thapa for the party presidency. Thapa believed the loss had less to do with Lingden and more with palace politics. Soon after, he quit the party.

After leaving RPP, Thapa drifted from his old positions. He even spoke of a Hindu republic and contested the 2022 election with the sun symbol. His ties with the former king weakened, and his relevance in royalist politics faded. Lingden focused on party organization and kept his distance. The palace, too, stayed aloof from both men, while new royalist figures took to the streets and drew attention.

By late 2024, the royalist agenda stood fragmented. Separate groups formed under leaders like Navaraj Subedi and Durga Prasai. New faces claimed command of the anti-republican movement. In that crowd, neither Thapa nor Lingden held sway. Even the RPP brand began to lose ground.

Thapa had sensed this early. In January 2025, he said he did not want to spend the final phase of his career running a small shop. He said unity could happen within a week if Lingden wished. Lingden replied that past splits driven by personalities called for caution. Talks followed, with little result. Both leaders even landed in police custody during street protests, once sharing detention with Prasai, who mocked their fading pull.

The Gen Z movement changed the math. New parties and leaders rose. Older forces began to regroup across the spectrum. Pressure mounted on RPP factions to come together. This week, that pressure delivered a decision.

What is being called unity is, in effect, Thapa’s return home. There are no conditions. The written deal runs just two sentences, stating agreement between RPP and RPP Nepal and setting a unity announcement for December 31 at City Hall. Lingden stays chair, the party name and plough symbol remain. Thapa accepts a former chair role for now.

Both leaders signed the agreement on Wednesday. Lingden spoke of learning from past mistakes and urged nationalist forces to unite. Thapa confirmed unity on December 31, saying all leaders would be given a respectful place.

People’s News Monitoring Service