KATHMANDU: Nepal's pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) elected Member of Parliament Rajendra Prasad Lingden as its chairman, after incumbent, president Kamal Thapa was defeated at the outfit's General Convention here on Sunday.
58-year-old Lingden secured 1,844 votes, while Kamal Thapa (68) secured 1,617 votes. Lingden is the only elected Parliament Member belonging to the RPP. Bikram Pandey, Buddhi Man Tamang and Dhruva Bahadur Pradhan have been elected vice-chairs.
Roshan Karki has been elected vice-chair under women's quota. Dhawal Shumsher Rana from Lingden's panel has been elected general secretary with 2,221 votes while Bhuvan Pathak from Thapa's panel has also been elected general secretary with 1,805 votes.
Kunti Shahi (2,008) from Thapa's panel was also elected general secretary (women) defeating popular Kollywood artist Rekha Thapa from Lingden's panel. Thapa blamed former King Gyanendra Shah for his defeat in the election even as majority of candidates from his panel emerged as new office-bearers.
In a series of tweets, Thapa condemned the "naked intervention" of Nirwal Niwas -- Gyanendra's residence -- in the general convention. "I have been relieved and liberated. I have been rewarded today for walking around wearing a shroud on the head carrying the institution of monarchy since 2006 when the whole country turned republican," Thapa wrote.
Established in 1990, the RPP is a constitutional monarchist and Hindu nationalist political outfit. Party leaders Surya Bahadur Thapa and Lokendra Bahadur Chand have served as Prime Ministers in the past.