Spread the love

By Our Reporter

As the March 5 election approaches, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) faces an uncomfortable reality. A party that rose on promises of clean politics and internal discipline is now dealing with a stream of resignations from provincial level leaders. The timing alone makes the damage hard to contain. More troubling is what these departures reveal about the party’s internal health.

The resignations are not random acts of frustration. They point to a pattern of distrust inside the party. Leaders such as Madhesh province chair Mamta Sharma, Dinesh Humagain, and Pranaya Shumsher Rana, and Makwanpur district president Bharat Parajuli have all raised similar concerns. They speak of fading transparency, disputed candidate selection, and a widening gap between public messaging and internal practice. When complaints from different corners start to sound alike, it usually signals a structural problem, not a personality clash.

Financial opacity sits at the center of the controversy. Sharma’s claim that key decisions appeared driven by financial irregularities strikes directly at the party’s founding narrative. RSP built its public image by attacking exactly this kind of political culture. When its own members begin to question financial discipline, the reputational cost multiplies quickly. Treasurer Lima Adhikari has rejected the accusations as baseless, but denial alone rarely settles political doubts. In public life, perception often moves faster than formal clarification.

The dispute over primary election fees has added another layer of mistrust. Rana’s complaint that he paid to participate in a promised primary that never materialized feeds the impression of procedural inconsistency. Even if the party followed its written rules, the political optics look poor. A reform-oriented party cannot afford confusion around money and candidate selection. These are the very areas where voters expect higher standards.

The leadership must also accept responsibility for the growing perception of internal centralization. Several departing figures have accused the party of drifting away from its founding ideals. Failure to hold the general convention on time and complaints about opaque ticket distribution suggest weak internal processes. For a party that positioned itself as an alternative to traditional power politics, such lapses cut deep.

The reported entry of figures close to high profile personalities, including allies of Balendra Shah, appears to have intensified resentment among long time workers. If loyal organizers feel sidelined in favor of late entrants with stronger public visibility, internal morale will naturally erode. Political parties survive on a simple bargain. Workers invest time and loyalty in exchange for fair recognition. When that balance breaks, exits follow.

Still, the party’s treasurer insists that a few departures will not affect electoral prospects. That may be partly true. RSP’s rise has depended heavily on urban voters and social media momentum rather than a traditional grassroots machine. Yet political damage does not always show up instantly in vote counts. It accumulates in credibility, and credibility once weakened is slow to rebuild.

The deeper lesson for RSP and other emerging parties is straightforward. Anti-establishment rhetoric creates very high expectations. When internal practice falls short, the backlash is sharper than what older parties face. Reform branding is not a one-time campaign slogan. It is a daily organizational discipline.

To stabilize itself, the party leadership needs to act quickly and visibly.

First, it must publish audited financial records in a clear and accessible format. Silence or defensive responses will only prolong suspicion.

Second, the party should institutionalize transparent candidate selection. If primaries are promised, they must be conducted consistently and under independent supervision.

Third, the long delayed general convention must be held on schedule. Regular internal elections are the backbone of credibility in any party that claims democratic values.

Fourth, leadership communication needs to improve. Dissatisfaction rarely explodes overnight. It builds when grievances remain unheard. A structured internal grievance mechanism could prevent future public fallout.

Finally, the party must reward organizational loyalty fairly. New entrants can bring energy, but sidelining early builders is a reliable way to trigger internal revolt.

RSP still has political space to recover. Public appetite for new political actors has not vanished. But the window will not stay open forever. If the leadership treats these resignations as minor turbulence, the party risks drifting into the same credibility trap it once promised to escape.