The race for the General Secretary position in Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has significantly narrowed after six prominent leaders withdrew their candidacies in favor of Bipin Acharya during the party's ongoing First General Convention.
Shishir Khanal was the first to step down, announcing his full backing for Acharya instead of pursuing his own bid. Following Khanal's withdrawal, Kabindra Burlakoti also pulled his name from the ballot to support Acharya.
The momentum for Acharya grew rapidly as four other contenders—Ganesh Parajuli, Pramod Neupane, Jagadish Kharel, and Ranju Darshana—similarly withdrew their candidacies to endorse his Acharya's run. Additionally, another candidate, Raju Nath Pandey, has pulled out of the competition.
With these withdrawals, the battlefield for the General Secretary post is now down to four remaining candidates: Bipin Acharya, Manish Jha, Sagar Dhakal, and Ganesh Karki.
Meanwhile, the contest for the party's other top executive positions remains tense. Sobita Gautam and Toshima Karki are still firmly in the race for the Vice President spots, while a crowded field of 16 candidates remains intact for the Joint General Secretary positions.
RSP Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane is currently making maximum efforts to reach a consensus and elect all office-bearers unanimously. Lamichhane has been using influential party leaders to negotiate with remaining contenders as delegates wait in line to vote.
The leadership selection process could only move forward after the final results of the Central Committee election were announced late Thursday night. In accordance with the party statute, candidates must first be elected as one of the 99 Central Committee members before they can run for top leadership positions. The voting for the central committee had run from midnight on Thursday until noon on Friday.
The convention, which is being held at the Chitwan Industry Association Exhibition Center, has seen massive delays. Originally scheduled to conclude in three days, the high-stakes convention has now stretched into its sixth day.
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