The political parties who played a role in the establishment of the republic are feeling unsafe due to the activities of controversial medical practitioner Durga Prasai, of late. Even the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which carries the agenda of restoring the monarchy, has been shaken by his activities.
The fear of the mainstream political parties including Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Center), is that the former king and Prasai will take advantage of the people's aversion to the parties and the existing political system. The RPP's concern is slightly different. It is worried whether Prasai will win the former king’s favor, sidelining the RPP.
RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden has met with former King Shah before the Tihar festival and assured him that the RPP will fully support him in his activities. In order to plan the former king's visit to Jhapa on November 25, Lingden reached Nirmal Niwas and met with him, sources have said.
Prasai's intent shocks Lingden
Millions of rupees borrowed from various banks are yet to be paid by Prasai. Prasai's movement is to not pay that loan and its interest. Besides, he is pitting himself against the UML and its Chairman KP Sharma Oli for the fact that he did not get UML ticket in the last general election.
Prasai was a central member of UML until last mid-March. When he joined UML after quitting Maoist Center, UML Chair Oli assured him of ticket. However, when the Congress-Maoist Center-Unified Socialist alliance was formed, Oli was forced to form an alliance with RPP in Jhapa, dashing Prasai's hopes. As a result, Prasai was deprived of ticket in Japa-3.
Shortly after the election, Prasain on February 13, 2022 announced the 'Mahaabhiyan' from Jhapa, saying that they would save the nation, nationality, religion and culture. Former king Gyanendra Shah was present as the chief guest in its opening program, spreading the message that Prasai is now with the former king.
Prasai's aim is to capitalize on the people’s growing aversion toward political parties and default on bank loans through chaos. Earlier, he has used leaders like Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and KP Sharma Oli for his commercial interests.
Since Oli and Prachanda are also used by Prasai, it cannot be said tha he will not use former king Gyanendra to fulfill his interest. He used the former king to gather a huge crowd in the February 13 event.
On November 25, former king Shah is scheduled to go to Jhapa where he will unveil a monument of Prithvi Narayan Shah at Birtamod Municipality-1, his communication secretary Phaniraj Pathak said.
On the one hand, Prasain is staging a mass demonstration in Kathmandu on November 23, on the other hand, former king Shah is going to his home district Jhapa after two days. However, the former King Shah was not going to Jhapa as per his plan, sources have said.
Former king in Jhapa with RPP
Since Prasai's activities are against the party and the system, the royalists have supported him. However, according to RPP leaders, Prasai's campaign has nothing to do with the former king's Jhapa visit on November 25. Instead, they claim that the former king's visit to Jhapa was in accordance with the advice of Chairman Lingden.
According to one of the RPP leaders, after the meeting held by Chairman Lingden on November 9, the program of the former king's visit to Jhapa was decided.
Following the meeting, Chairman Lingden briefed about the former king’s Jhapa visit in the Central Work Performance Committee meeting of the party. The meeting has decided to make former king’s Jhapa visit a success.
RPP’s Central Work Performance Committee meeting scheduled for November 25, 26 and 27 has been adjourned for December 27, 28 and 29, said an RPP leader.
