In a significant development at Rastriya Swatantra Party's (RSP) ongoing first General Convention in Chitwan, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has been elected unopposed as the party's Vice President.
The RSP’s Election Commission officially declared Wagle’s victory on Friday morning for the open male Vice President position.
Wagle’s unanimous election was secured after Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, the only other contender for the male vice-presidential slot, withdrew his candidacy. In a strong show of party unity, Shrestha himself acted as the proposer for Wagle’s candidacy after stepping down from the race.
According to the RSP's party constitution, the central leadership includes three Vice Presidents. The party statute mandates that two of these positions must be filled via election—with one seat strictly reserved for a woman—while the third Vice President is directly nominated by the Party President. Wagle has claimed the single open male seat through this elective track.
Before aiming for the vice-presidency, Wagle had already secured his position as a central committee member. The RSP statute stipulates that candidates running for any office-bearer position, excluding Party President and Senior Leader, must first be elected as central committee members. Wagle had previously cleared this hurdle with a resounding mandate, securing the highest number of votes (2,607) in the open category during the central committee elections.
Wagle joins Party President Rabi Lamichhane, who was also elected unopposed to the party's top leadership position earlier in the convention.
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