Manish Jha and Bipin Acharya are vying for the position of General Secretary of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Both leaders, who have filed their candidacies for central committee membership, are actively lobbying for votes among convention delegates, pitching themselves as the party’s next General Secretary.
RSP’s closed-door session is scheduled to take place at the Chitwan Exhibition Center, Bharatpur, where convention delegates from across the country have gathered.
Under the RSP’s statute, office-bearers are not elected directly; they must first be elected as Central Committee members before they can vie for leadership positions. Consequently, Jha and Acharya are currently campaigning to secure their spots on the Central Committee as the crucial first step toward the General Secretary. Jha currently serves as the party's spokesperson, while Acharya holds the post of joint general secretary.
"Party rank-and-file party members previously wanted to see me as a minister. Since that didn't happen, they are now urging me to become the General Secretary," Jha told Nepalkhabar, asserting that his claim to the post is natural. "I am preparing for it, and my candidacy is entirely logical."
Acharya echoed a similar confidence while rallying delegates. "I am the natural contender for General Secretary. First, I ensure my victory to the Central Committee," Acharya was heard telling representatives. "Whether you want to see me as the General Secretary or elsewhere is now in your hands."
Although Rastriya Swatantra Party convention’s closed-door session was scheduled to begin at 8:30 am on Monday, the proceedings were delayed and had still not commenced by midday.
The delay is reportedly due to ongoing challenges in finalizing the official list of convention delegates, with identity card distribution still underway. Despite the procedural hiccups, aspiring leaders continue to aggressively lobby for votes on the convention floor.
.
