Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Disputes have erupted within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) over supporting the alliance of CPN-UML and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) to form a government in Bagmati Province.
RPP has decided to take action against its parliamentary party leader in Bagmati, Uddhab Thapa, after he defied the party’s instruction and decided to support Kiran Thapa Magar of UML to form a government in the province.
RPP Chairperson Rajendra Lingden has already sought an explanation from him over his decision.
RPP’s support is crucial for the UML-NCP alliance, which together has 45 seats in the 110-member provincial assembly. A majority of 56 is needed to form a government in the province. RPP has 13 seats in the province, including the Speaker.
Meanwhile, RPP’s Chief Whip in the Bagmati Province Assembly Kumari Tamang has urged Province Chief Deepak Raj Bhatta not to recognize the support submitted by Thapa.
In a letter sent to Province Chief Bhatta on Wednesday, Tamang said Thapa had submitted the letter of support on his personal letterhead without convening a meeting of the provincial parliamentary party.
“We were surprised to learn through the media that RPP Bagmati Province parliamentary party leader Uddhav Thapa, without convening a meeting of the parliamentary party, arbitrarily supported CPN-UML Bagmati Province Assembly member Kiran Thapa Magar for chief minister and submitted a letter to the Province Chief using his personal letterhead,” she said in the letter.
The RPP is scheduled to hold a central committee meeting on Thursday, where the dispute over the Bagmati Province parliamentary party’s decision is expected to be discussed.
