The Rastriya Swatantra Party, once seen as a promising alternative force, continues to battle perceptions that it is a party of hangers-on centred around the personality cult of its President Rabi Lamichhane.

From the outset, RSP leaders tried to bill the party as an inclusive, youth-powered outfit with robust internal democracy and shared leadership.

Yet recent developments appear to substantiate the claims that the party in fact revolves around Lamichhane, also the former home minister who is currently in judicial custody on cooperative fraud charges.

In Lamichhane’s absence, the leadership appears rudderless, struggling to finalise so much as the date of the party’s general convention.

On March 27, the party meeting, citing its failure to complete the formation of lower-level committees, determined it cannot hold its first general convention scheduled for May 8–10 in Chitwan.

At the time, Lamichhane had relinquished his executive role and appointed vice-president Dol Prasad Aryal as acting chief of the party. Lamichhane was arrested on October 18 on charges of cooperatives frauds, money laundering and organised crime.

Lamichhane remains suspended as lawmaker and faces cooperatives fraud cases in five districts—Kathmandu, Kaski, Rupandehi, Chitwan and Parsa.

Lamichhane resumed his active role in the party and started chairing the party meetings from March 30. Then he directed the party leaders to proceed with the convention as initially planned.

His abrupt re-emergence and strong push for the convention to proceed as scheduled had once again raised concerns about the party’s dependence on his leadership.

“In the March 27 meeting, we discussed the possibility of holding the general convention on the planned date,” Manish Jha, RSP’s acting spokesperson, told the Post on April 1. “Based on today’s meeting, we have decided to hold the convention as scheduled.”

However, Lamichhane was arrested again on April 4 following an order from the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court to remand him in custody over the Supreme Cooperative fraud case.

The party held a two-day secretariat meeting in the wake of his arrest, but it failed to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the general convention. According to party insiders, although the matter was discussed during the meeting, uncertainty hangs over the possibility of organising a general convention in May.

To make a final decision, the party has called a central committee meeting for Thursday, preceded by another secretariat meeting. Both gatherings will deliberate not only on the general convention but also broader organisational matters, party leaders say. It will also try to counter the narrative that RSP is a one-man party.

“We not only have to dispel the negative narrative of being a one-man party, but we must also make a rational decision regarding the convention,” said Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, the party’s deputy leader in Parliament. “Decision regarding the timing and nature of the general convention will be taken on Thursday.”

However, several party leaders wonder if holding the general convention as scheduled is feasible. Only six out of 753 municipality chapters of the party have held local conventions—one of the fundamental prerequisites for a national convention.

Furthermore, questions remain regarding the role of Lamichhane in the party’s mega event, given that he is currently in judicial custody. Some argue that the convention should not proceed without clarity on his status and participation.

Nonetheless, acting president Aryal insists that Lamichhane’s court case does not disqualify him from taking part in the general convention. “No legal provision prevents someone in custody from contesting in the party’s general convention,” Aryal said. “Should the convention go ahead, Lamichhane is eligible to run for president.”