Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal - Revision history

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{{Distinguish|text=[[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]], a center-right constitutional monarchist party under the chairmanship of [[Rajendra Lingden]]}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal
| logo =
| logo_size = 150px
| colorcode = orange
| colours = {{colour box|{{party color|Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal}}}}
| chairman = [[Kamal Thapa]]
| foundation = October 2006<br />
| ideology = [[Hindu nationalism]]<br />[[Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava]]<br />[[Conservatism]]<br />[[Economic liberalism]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/08/12/interview/nepali-people-never-launched-a-revolution-to-remove-monarchy/376298.html |title=Nepali people never launched a revolution to remove monarchy |publisher=ekantipur |access-date=1 September 2013 |archive-date=15 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815092257/http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/08/12/interview/nepali-people-never-launched-a-revolution-to-remove-monarchy/376298.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| split = [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]]
| merged =
| headquarters = [[Kathmandu]]
| international =
| website = [http://www.rppn.org.np www.rppn.org.np]
| country = Nepal
| native_name = {{lang|ne|राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी नेपाल}}
| dissolution =
| predecessor =
| student_wing = National Democratic Student Organisation, Nepal
| youth_wing = National Democratic Youth Organisation, Nepal
| womens_wing = National Democratic Women Organisation Nepal
| wing1_title = Labour
| wing1 = National Democratic Trade union confederation
| position = [[Right-wing]]
| symbol = [[File:Logo RPP, Nepal.png|100px]]
}}
'''Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal''' ({{lang-ne|राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी नेपाल}}; [[translation]]: ''National Democratic Party Nepal'') is a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] [[right-wing]], [[Cultural conservatism|cultural conservative]] party. It previously existed as [[Monarchism|royalist]] [[List of political parties in Nepal|political party in Nepal]] from 2006 to 2016.<ref>[http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/LSGZ-747CN9?OpenDocument Situation Reports: Nepal, OCHA Nepal Situation Overview - Jun 2007]</ref> The party was formed as a splinter of [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]] in 2006 and was later reunified in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RPP, RPP-N formally unite as Rastriya Prajatantra Party|url=https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2016/11/21/rpp-rpp-n-unite|access-date=5 December 2020|website=kathmandupost.com|language=en|publication-place=Kathmandu}}</ref> The party was reformed in 2022 by [[Kamal Thapa]].

The party supported the restoration of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] kingdom in Nepal under the [[Shah dynasty]].<ref>[http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/jun/jun19/news13.php Nepalnews.com Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd]{{dead link|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Presently, the party advocates only [[Hindu nationalism]].<ref name=":0" />

The party was registered with the [[Election Commission of Nepal]] ahead of the [[2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|April 2008 Constituent Assembly election]] for the first time.<ref>[http://www.election.gov.np/NP/legal/list.php पार्टीको सूची — Election Commission of Nepal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102124711/http://www.election.gov.np/NP/legal/list.php }}</ref> Ahead of the election, the party sought to form a front of royalist parties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=136515 |title=eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal |access-date=2008-02-07 |archive-date=2008-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401092059/http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=136515 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[2013 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2013 elections]], the party had emerged as the fourth largest party in the [[2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly|Constituent Assembly]] winning 24 out of 575 seats.

==History==

=== Founding, 2006–2008 ===
It was started as a breakaway faction of the [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]] under leadership of [[Kamal Thapa]], home minister under [[King Gyanendra]]'s direct rule. Thapa resigned as party chair in October 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=89698 |title=eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal |access-date=2008-02-07 |archive-date=2008-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401092053/http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=89698 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

RPP won the largest number of mayors in the 2006 municipal election. Rajaram Shrestha won in the capital [[Kathmandu]]; also Khadga Prasad Palungua in [[Dharan, Nepal|Dharan]], Pralhad Prasad Shah Haluwai in [[Biratnagar]], Ram Shankar Shah in [[Jaleswor]], Sumitra Madhinne in [[Bhaktapur]], Madhukar Prasad Adhikari in [[Hetauda]], Bimal Prasad Shrivastav in [[Birgunj]], Bidur Khadka in [[Baglung]] and Bhimsen Thapa in [[Pokhara]]. However this election was boycotted by most major parties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/feb/feb10/news01.php |title=Nepalnews.com Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd |access-date=2008-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516215424/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/feb/feb10/news01.php |archive-date=2008-05-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In April 2006, the [[Nepal Samata Party (Socialist)]] merged into the party.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/apr/apr05/news12.php |title=Nepalnews.com Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd |access-date=2008-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516230235/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/apr/apr05/news12.php |archive-date=2008-05-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2007 the splinter group [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nationalist)]] of [[Rajeshwor Devkota|Rajeswor Devkota]] rejoined the party. Bidwai Parishad of Jit Bahadur Arjel also merged with them<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180719113714/http://www.ipcs.org/Feb_07_SAnepal.pdf Microsoft Word - Feb_07_SAnepal.doc]</ref>

On March 2, 2008, [[Rabindra Nath Sharma]] stepped down as party chairman, citing health reasons. [[Kamal Thapa]] again became chairman.<ref name="march">[http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/mar/mar02/news17.php "Sharma resigns as RPP-N chief; Thapa takes over"]{{Dead link|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Nepalnews, March 2, 2008.</ref>

=== Constituent Assembly, 2008–2015 ===
The party won four seats in the [[2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2008 Constituent Assembly election]]. At the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly on May 28, 2008, the party was the only party to oppose the declaration of a republic; there were 560 votes in favor of a republic and only the party's four votes against.<ref>[http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/may/may29/news01.php "RPP-Nepal becomes the only party against republic; some lawyers question procedures adopted by CA"]{{dead link|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Nepalnews, May 29, 2008.</ref> Thapa subsequently said on June 20, 2008 that the country faced an impending "disaster", urging alertness among the party. He said that the party's policies and programmes would remain the same despite the political change.<ref>[http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jun/jun21/news01.php "Thapa predicts disaster soon"]{{Dead link|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Nepalnews, June 21, 2008.</ref> On July 13, 2008, he described the abolition of the monarchy as merely "an interim decision", saying that the party sought the restoration of the monarchy.<ref>[http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul14/news03.php "Thapa hopes for revival of monarchy"]{{Dead link|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Nepalnews, July 14, 2008.</ref>

The party boycotted the [[2008 Nepalese presidential election|July 2008 presidential election]] in the Constituent Assembly, on the grounds that the major parties were treating the election as a partisan contest.<ref>[http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul18/news10.php "RPP-Nepal to boycott the presidential election"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012043418/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul18/news10.php }}, Nepalnews, July 18, 2008.</ref>

In August 2008 some senior leaders, including [[Rabindra Nath Sharma]] and [[Rajeshwor Devkota]], left the party and joined the [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/aug/aug21/news06.php |title=Archived copy |website=www.nepalnews.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122023055/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/aug/aug21/news06.php |archive-date=22 November 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The party won 24 seats under proportional representation in the [[2013 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2013 Constituent Assembly elections]] making it the fourth largest party in the [[2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly|house]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Final Results of PR Vote Count|url=http://election.gov.np/CA2070/CAResults/reportBody.php?selectedMenu1=2&rand=1388399954|work=Election Commission of Nepal}}</ref> The party split following differences over naming candidates to the proportional representation seats won by the party. Central leaders of the party including former minister Tanka Dhakal and former Kathmandu mayoral candidate Rajaram Shrestha registered a new party the 'Nepali Rastriya Prajatantra Party' at the [[Election Commission of Nepal|Election Commission]] on 30 December 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=RPP-N splits over PR list candidates|url=http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/12/30/top-story/rpp-n-splits-over-pr-list-candidates/383162.html|access-date=30 December 2013|newspaper=eKantipur|archive-date=1 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101003942/http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/12/30/top-story/rpp-n-splits-over-pr-list-candidates/383162.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the Election Commission turned down the breakaway group's request seeking recognition as a new party and claim of [[proportional representation]] seats.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sharma|first=Bhadra|title=EC turns down RPP-N faction's pleas|url=http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/01/01/top-story/ec-turns-down-rpp-n-factions-pleas/383226.html|access-date=3 January 2014|newspaper=eKantipur|archive-date=13 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213200322/http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/01/01/top-story/ec-turns-down-rpp-n-factions-pleas/383226.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Tanka Dhakal later announced his return to the party stating "Splitting the party at this moment is not in our interest. It will weaken democracy" <ref>{{cite news|title=RPP-N rebel faction backtracks|url=http://english.setopati.com/politics/61/RPP-N-rebel-faction-backtracks/|access-date=3 January 2014|newspaper=Setopati|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103231410/http://english.setopati.com/politics/61/RPP-N-rebel-faction-backtracks/|archive-date=3 January 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Other dissidents leaders said it was Chairman Kamal Thapa's "concession on monarchy and Hindu state" that precipitated the split.<ref>{{cite news|title='Thapa's concession on monarchy, Hindu state caused RPP-N split'|url=http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/01/13/capital/thapas-concession-on-monarchy-hindu-state-caused-rpp-n-split/383808.html|access-date=13 January 2014|newspaper=The Kathmandu Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Maila Baje|title=Crowning Touches Of Exasperation|url=http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/01/13/capital/thapas-concession-on-monarchy-hindu-state-caused-rpp-n-split/383808.html|work=Nepali Netbook|access-date=13 January 2014}}"A deeper reason for the crisis is considered to be Thapa’s perceived post-election dilution of the party’s avowed agenda of restoring the monarchy."</ref>

=== Unification, 2015–2016 ===
{{multiple image
|width1=150
|header=
|image1=Rppnepalflagnewversion.png
|alt1=
|caption1=Party flag prior to unification
|width2=150
|image2=Rastriya_Prajatantra_Party_Nepal-electionsymbol2064.jpg
|alt2=
|caption2=Party election symbol prior to unification
}}
When the party joined the government of [[Khadga Prasad Oli]], Bikram Bahadur Thapa and Kunti Devi Shahi became state ministers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/ampnews/2015-11-09/pm-oli-expands-cabinet.html|title = PM Oli expands Cabinet}}</ref>

On 21 November 2016, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party|Rastriya Prajtantra Party]] announced their unification. The new party retained the name of [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]]. The new party had a total strength of 37 in the [[Parliament of Nepal]] becoming the fourth largest party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/rastriya-prajatantra-party-merges-with-rastriya-prajatantra-party-nepal/|title=You are being redirected...|website=thehimalayantimes.com|access-date=2017-06-26}}</ref> Kamal Thapa was elected chairman of the party in a special general convention in Kathmandu in February 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-02-20/kamal-thapa-reelected-as-rpp-chairman.html|title=Kamal Thapa reelected as RPP chairman|access-date=2017-06-26|language=en}}</ref>

=== Revival, 2022-present ===
On 13 February 2022, [[Kamal Thapa]] who had prior made a declaration of leaving [[Rastriya Prajatantra Party]] made a press release about joining the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal soon as the national president of the party.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Setopati|first=सेतोपाटी संवाददाता |title=राप्रपा नेपालको अध्यक्ष भएपछि कमल थापाले भने- अलमलपछि फेरि आफ्नो घर फर्किएँ|url=https://www.setopati.com/politics/262106/|access-date=2022-02-13|website=Setopati|language=hi}}</ref> After the revival, the party left the agenda of Constitutional monarchy which the party had taken as its ideology for a long period. The main agenda of the new party remains [[Hindu nationalism]] or [[Hindutva]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=कमल थापाले ब्यूँताए राप्रपा नेपाल, फागुन ७ मा घोषणा गर्ने|url=https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/02/1078321|access-date=2022-02-13|website=Online Khabar|language=en-US}}</ref>

On 21 July 2022, Former [[Ministry of Urban Development (Nepal)|Urban Development Minister]] Dil Nath Giri, Former RPP Vice-President Dil Bikash Rajbhandari along with leaders Shyam Timalsina, Keshavraj Shrestha, Daman Basnet, Sudha Joshi, Ranjita Shrestha and Dipesh Khatri resigned en masse from RPP and joined hands with Kamal Thapa in a welcome program in Kathmandu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=रातोपाटी |title=पूर्वमन्त्री गिरिलगायत राप्रपा नेपाल प्रवेश |url=https://ratopati.com/story/253008/2022/7/21/dilanath-giri |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=RatoPati |language=Nepali}}</ref>

== Electoral performance ==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
!Election
!Leader
! colspan="2" |Votes
!Seats
!Position
!Resulting government
|-
|[[2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2008]]
|[[Kamal Thapa]]
|110,519
|1.03
| style="text-align:center;" |{{Infobox political party/seats|4|575|orange}}
|12th
|{{no2|[[Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)|CPN (Maoist)]]–CPN (UML)–[[Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal|MJFN]]}}
|-
|[[2013 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2013]]
|[[Kamal Thapa]]
|630,697
|6.66
| style="text-align:center;" |{{Infobox political party/seats|24|575|orange}}
|4th
|{{no2|Congress–CPN (UML)–[[Rastriya Prajatantra Party|RPP]]}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Hindu Nationalism}}
{{Political parties in Nepal}}

[[Category:Nepalese Hindu political parties]]
[[Category:Hindu nationalism in Nepal]]
[[Category:2022 establishments in Nepal]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2016]]
[[Category:Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal politicians| ]]
[[Category:Right-wing parties]]
[[Category:2016 disestablishments in Nepal]]