Rastriya Swatantra Party
Centrist political party in Nepal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)[b] is a centrist political party in Nepal. It has been the governing party of Nepal since the 2026 general election with 182 seats out of 275 in the House of Representatives.
Rastriya Swatantra Party राष्ट्रिय स्वतन्त्र पार्टी | |
|---|---|
| |
| Abbreviation | RSP |
| Leader | Balen Shah |
| President | Rabi Lamichhane |
| General Secretary | Bipin Kumar Acharya |
| Spokesperson | vacant |
| Vice-President | Swarnim Wagle Sobita Gautam |
| Joint General Secretary | Hari Dhakal Asim Shah Nisha Dangi |
| Chief Whip | Kabindra Burlakoti |
| Party Treasurer | vacant |
| Founder | Rabi Lamichhane |
| Founded | 1 July 2022 |
| Merger of | |
| Headquarters | Chamati, Banasthali 16, Kathmandu |
| Membership (July 2026) | 390,112[a] Increased from 241,799 (2025)[3]; +148,313 (  61.34%) |
| Ideology | Liberalism[4] Progressivism[5] |
| Political position | Centre[A] |
| Colours | Sky blue |
| Slogan | अब जान्नेलाई छान्ने ('Select the knowledgeable') |
| ECN Status | National Party (1st largest) |
| Lawyers' Wing | Swatantra Kanun Byawasayee Manch |
| Seats in Pratinidhi Sabha | 182 / 275 |
| Seats in Rastriya Sabha | 0 / 59 |
| Mayors/Chairs | 1 / 753 |
| Seats in Provincial Assemblies | 0 / 550 |
| Councillors | 12 / 35,011 |
| Election symbol | |
 | |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| rspnepal | |
^ A: Also described as centre-left and centre-right.[5][6] | |
The RSP was founded by broadcaster Rabi Lamichhane in 2022 in order to contest the 2022 general election. The party won 10.70% of the party list vote and became one of seven national parties in the Federal Parliament. It joined the coalition government of Pushpa Kamal Dahal with Lamichhane as deputy prime minister. The party withdrew from the cabinet after Lamichhane's citizenship was declared invalid by the Supreme Court of Nepal in 2023. The party again became a coalition partner in the Prachanda-led government with four cabinet ministries from March to July 2024. Lamichhane was arrested in late 2024 following accusations of cooperative fraud and Dol Prasad Aryal served as acting president. In the aftermath of the 2025 Gen Z protests, fan favourite Balen Shah joined the RSP, whose political agenda reshaped the party's identity. The RSP won a near two-thirds majority in the 2026 election with Shah as prime minister.
Classified as a progressive liberal party with populist appeal, the RSP has campaigned on constitutional socialism, secularism and a welfare state. It also supports the Right to Recall provisions for its elected MPs, pledging anti-corruption stands and calling for a shift towards liberal economy in Nepal.
History
Foundation and early years (2022–2025)
On 16 June 2022, Rabi Lamichhane resigned as managing director of now defunct Galaxy 4K TV and announced that he would be contesting in the 2022 general elections for a seat at the House of Representatives.[7] On 21 June 2022, he announced the formation of Rastriya Swatantra Party along with a 21-member central committee.[8][9] The party was formally registered in the Election Commission on 1 July 2022 with Rabi Lamichhane as the founding president and a bell inside a circle as its election symbol.[10] [11][12]
The party fielded candidates in 131 constituencies for the 2022 general election, but did not contest the provincial elections. The party won seven direct seats and 13 proportional seats to the House of Representatives.[13] It received 10.70% of the party list vote and became one of seven national parties in the Federal Parliament.[14] The RSP was the fourth-largest national party in Nepal after the 2022 general election.[15] Following the election, the party joined the coalition government of Pushpa Kamal Dahal with party president Rabi Lamichhane serving as deputy prime minister.[16] Indira Rana Magar from the party was elected as the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.[17] The party was a coalition partner in the Prachanda-led government with four cabinet ministries from 6 March 2024 to 12 July 2024.[18][19] Previously, it was a junior ally in the Prachanda-led government from 26 December 2022 until 5 February 2023.[20][21]
The party withdrew from the cabinet after Lamichhane's citizenship was declared invalid by the Supreme Court, but continued to support the government.[22][23] Following the decision, Dol Prasad Aryal became acting president of the party.[24][25] The party replaced list MP Dhaka Kumar Shrestha and expelled him from the party following corruption accusations.[26][27]
The party contested the by-elections in 2023 and gained a seat in Tanahun 1 while Lamichhane was re-elected from Chitwan 2.[28][29] The party rejoined the coalition government of Dahal in March 2024, but the cabinet was dissolved after a breakdown in the alliance a month later.[30][31] The party expelled general secretary Mukul Dhakal from the party for violating party rules.[32]
Party president Lamichhane was arrested in October 2024 following accusations of cooperative fraud and Dol Prasad Aryal served as acting president.[33] In June 2025, Kabindra Burlakoti was appointed as general secretary and Manish Jha was appointed as party spokesperson.[34]
Gen Z protests (2025–present)
Following the Gen Z protests, former MP Sumana Shrestha resigned from the party.[35] Chief whip Santosh Pariyar also left the party and joined the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party.[36][37] In December 2025, Bibeksheel Sajha Party merged into the party.[1] The party also signed an agreement to merge with Ujyaalo Nepal Party and to bring Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah into the party.[38] The agreement with Ujyaalo Nepal Party later collapsed and the merger did not go ahead.[39] The party won a near-supermajority of 182 out of 275 seats in the 2026 national elections, and its candidate Balen Shah became prime minister on 27 March 2026.[15][40]
Organization
The party had announced that it would have no sister organizations and only have members, not cadres. It had also announced that primary elections would be held to select candidates for elections from the party.[9][8] The party selected candidates for the 2022 general election through a primary election.[41] The party holds its General Convention every 4–5 years.
Ideology
The party supports constitutional socialism,[42] progressivism,[43] secularism,[44] pragmatism, participatory democracy, social democracy,[42] a liberal economy with a welfare state,[45][46] economic liberalism,[43] and political freedom.[47] The party has been described as centrist[48][43][49] by scholars[48][50][51] and different members within the party.[52][53] In 2026, Deutsche Welle referred to the party as "centrist-liberal."[4] The RSP has also been regarded as a populist party.[54][55]
As a progressive liberal party,[5][4] the party strongly follows Right to Recall provisions for its elected MPs,[56] anti-corruption stands pledging to probe assets of public officeholders since 1990 alongside social justice to marginalized communities, meritocracy in civil services, unified health service transparency, envisioned road transport model, amendment of land acquisition and environmental clearance laws, single-window service delivery system to fast-track projects,[57] ‘National Knowledge Bank’ to connect foreign experts with domestic sectors in commercial industries, digital-first governance and a strict oversight on BFIs protecting small depositors and pension funds under its political spectrum.[58]
Ministry responsible
Under Balen Shah Cabinet
Under Dahal Cabinet
From 6 March to 12 July 2024
| Dahal III | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. | Minister | Role | Assumed office | Left office | Tenure |
| 1. | Rabi Lamichhane | Ministry of Home Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal | 6 March 2024 | 12 July 2024 | 128 days |
| 2. | Sumana Shrestha | Ministry of Education, Science and Technology | |||
| 3. | Dol Prasad Aryal | Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security | |||
| 4. | Biraj Bhakta Shrestha | Ministry of Youth and Sports | |||
From 17 January to 5 February 2023
| Dahal III | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. | Minister | Role | Assumed office | Left office | Tenure | Successor |
| 1. | Dol Prasad Aryal | Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security | 17 January 2023 | 5 February 2023 | 19 days | Sharat Singh Bhandari |
| 2. | Shishir Khanal | Ministry of Education, Science and Technology | Ashok Rai | |||
| 3. | Toshima Karki | State Ministry of Health and Population | Pushpa Kamal Dahal not allocated to anyone | |||
Policy platform
Natural order of the economy
The party endorses an economy with individual rights, where industrial and commercial activities are off-limits to the government, which cannot interfere with economic relations between individuals, groups, classes, or entire nations. The party supports the idea that economic freedom will drive the economy to prosperity and that planning and interference by the government disrupt the economy and have adverse effects.[59][60][61][62]
Electoral reform
It also supports the introduction of recall elections, the right to reject and a provision for absentee ballots. The party also supports directly electing the prime minister and directly electing chief ministers for the seven provinces of Nepal.[8][9][63]
The party in its manifesto for the 2022 elections also supported the idea of a non-partisan president elected by an expanded electoral college which would incorporate elected representatives from ward chairs to federal lawmakers and also touted the idea of the chairman of the National Assembly acting as the de facto vice-president.[64] The party also seeks to end political appointments in constitutional bodies and has called for the Constitutional Council to be scrapped, and for appointments to constitutional bodies be recommended by the National Assembly and confirmed by the House of Representatives instead. The party has also called for the dissolution of provincial assemblies, district co-ordination committees and has stood in favour of a provincial council which would be elected by the heads of local governments in the province. The party chair Rabi Lamichhane did not cast his vote at the 2022 provincial elections.[65][66]
Economic and social welfare
The party sees the private sector, co-operatives and the public sector as the three pillars of the economy. The party favors competition and seeks to establish a growing role of the private sector as an alternative to the public sector in order to deliver services to the people and for economic growth. The party wants to end income tax for people in the lowest octile of earners in the country. The party also seeks to establish food banks in every ward in the country and to guarantee nutrition assistance for people living under the poverty line by issuing them ration cards. The party also seeks to expand the current social welfare system and to include private insurance companies in the social welfare system.[67]
Healthcare
The party supports the establishment of a single-payer healthcare system and the establishment of at least one laboratory and a 750-bed hospital in each of the seven provinces, a 50 to 100-bed hospital in each of the 77 districts, a 6 to 25-bed hospital in each local unit and a clinic in each ward in the country. The party also wants to establish a centralized national ambulance service, health and quality assurance accreditation board, a food and drug department, a central disease board and a health innovation & development board. The party also wants to create a health workers act for public healthcare workers.[67]
Corruption
The party seeks to crackdown on corruption by introducing a Whistleblower Protection Act to protect whistleblowers and by establishing an Anti-Corruption Police under the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.[67]
Women and sexual minorities
The party has also called for the establishment of shelters for victims of abuse and the creation of a fund to help victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and acid attack victims. The party also seeks to promote entrepreneurship among women and sexual minorities by establishing funds for businesses where at least sixty percent of the shareholders or employees are female or of a sexual minority group.[67]
Election results
The party nominated 131 candidates for the First Past the Post seats for the 2022 Nepalese general election.[68] The party nominated 164 candidates for the First Past the Post seats for the 2026 Nepalese general election.[69]
| Election | Leader | Constituency votes | Party list votes | Seats | ± | Position | Resulting government | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | ± | No. | % | ± | ||||||
| 2022 | Rabi Lamichhane | 815,023 | 7.77 | 1,130,344 | 10.70 | 21 / 275 |
4th | In coalition | |||
| Opposition | |||||||||||
| 2026 | 4,650,697 | 44.17 | 36.4 |
5,183,493 | 47.84 | 37.14 |
182 / 275 |
161 |
1st |
Government | |
Leadership
Current office bearers
| SN | Position | Office bearer | Portrait | Term since | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | President | Rabi Lamichhane | 1 July 2022 | [12][70][71] | |
| 2 | Vice President | Swarnim Wagle | 29 November 2023 | [72][73] | |
| Sobita Gautam |  |
26 June 2026 | [74][75] | ||
| TBC | |||||
| 3 | General Secretary | Bipin Kumar Acharya | 26 June 2026 | [76][77] | |
| TBC | |||||
| 4 | Joint General Secretary | Asim Shah |  |
26 June 2026 | [78] |
| Hari Dhakal |  |
26 June 2026 | [78] | ||
| Nisha Dangi | 26 June 2026 | [79] | |||
| TBC | |||||
| TBC | |||||
| 5 | Spokesperson | TBC | |||
| 6 | Joint Spokesperson | TBC | |||
| TBC | |||||
| TBC | |||||
| 7 | Treasurer | TBC | |||
| 8 | Joint Treasurer | TBC | |||
| TBC |
Former office bearers
| Position | Office bearer | Term | Ref. | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice President | Dol Prasad Aryal | Jul 2022 – Mar 2026 | [80] | Elected Speaker |
| General Secretary | Mukul Dhakal | Jul 2022 – Jul 2024 | [12][81][82] | Suspended & subsequently removed |
| Kabindra Burlakoti | Jun 2025 – Jun 2026 | [83] | Term ended | |
| Joint General Secretary | Bipin Kumar Acharya | Nov 2023 – Jun 2026 | [72] | Term ended |
| Sumana Shrestha | Nov 2023 – Apr 2025 | [84] | Resigned | |
| Spokesperson | Manish Jha | Jun 2025 – Jun 2026 | [85] | Term ended |
Members of Parliament
Pratinidhi Shabha (2026–present)
These MPs list of order is based on party power holdings, ministerial rank, and tenure in the House of Representatives.
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Proportional Representation (2026–present)
| No. | MPs | Portrait | Category | Assumed Office | End Office | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 126. | Pratibha Rawal | Khas Arya | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 127. | Lima Adhikari | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 128. | Samikchya Baskota | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 129. | Rima Biswokarma | Dalit | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 130. | Sita Badi | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 131. | Nisha Mehta | Madheshi | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 132. | Geeta Chaudhary | Tharu | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 133. | Ojashwi Sherchan | Janajati | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 134. | Prakash Chandra Pariyar | Dalit | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 135. | Vidhusi Rana | Khas Arya | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 136. | Ramesh Prasai | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 137. | Samina Miya | Muslim | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 138. | Afsana Banu | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 139. | Galaja Samim Mkirani | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 140. | Surendra Chaudhary | Tharu | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 141. | Premlal Chaudhary | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 142. | Karishma Kathariya | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 143. | Khagendra Karna | Madeshi | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 144. | Kamini Kumari Chaudhari | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 145. | Sarita Mahato | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 146. | Ankita Thakur | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 147. | Lalita Kumari | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 148. | Purshuttam Yadav | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 149. | Poonam Kumari Agrawal | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 150. | Anushka Shrestha |  |
Janajati | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |
| 151. | Mingma Gyabu Sherpa |  |
27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 152. | Bhumika Shrestha |  |
27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 153. | Basumaya Tamang | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 154. | Ganga Chhantyal | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 155. | Sumnima Udas | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 156. | Srijana Shrestha | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 157. | Rajini Shrestha | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 158. | Kusum Maharjan | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 159. | Pramila Kaluju | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 160. | Sujata Tamang | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 161. | Kripa Maharjan | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 162. | Aliza Gurung | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 163. | Ram Lama | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 164. | Khusbu Shrestha | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 165. | Prabha Dhakal | Khas Arya | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 166. | Gyanu Paudel | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 167. | Rata Kumari Thapa | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 168. | Sobha Khanal | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 169. | Prabha Karki | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 170. | Manju Bhusal | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 171. | Shristi Bhattarai | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 172. | Aakriti Awasthi | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 173. | Kranti Sikha Dhital | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 174. | Tika Sangraula | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 175. | Shradhha Kuwar | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 176. | Rachana Khatiwoda | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 177. | Amrita B.K. | Dalit | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | ||
| 178. | Khima B.K. | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 179. | Tara Biswokarma | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 180. | Sushma Swarnakar | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 181. | Smriti Century | 27 March 2026 | 150 days | |||
| 182. |
Pratinidhi Shabha (2022–2025)
These MPs list of order is based on party power holdings, ministerial rank, and tenure in the House of Representatives.
| No. | MPs | Portrait | Assumed office | End office | Tenure | Preceded by | Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rabi Lamichhane | 1 July 2022 | 27 January 2023 | 210 days | Position Created | Chitwan 2 | |
| 29 January 2023 | 12 September 2025 | 2 years, 226 days | Dol Prasad Aryal | ||||
| 2. | Swarnim Wagle | 28 April 2023 | 2 years, 137 days | Ram Chandra Poudel | Tanahun 1 | ||
| 3. | Sumana Shrestha | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | – | elected as a proportional representative | ||
| 4. | Dol Prasad Aryal | ||||||
| 5. | Manish Jha | ||||||
| 6. | Biraj Bhakta Shrestha |  |
22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Jeevan Ram Shrestha | Kathmandu 8 | |
| 7. | Toshima Karki | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Pampha Bhusal | Lalitpur 3 | ||
| 8. | Hari Dhakal | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Surendra Pandey | Chitwan 1 | ||
| 9. | Shishir Khanal |  |
22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Bhimsen Das Pradhan | Kathmandu 6 | |
| 10. | Sobita Gautam | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Madhav Kumar Nepal | Kathmandu 2 | ||
| 11. | Ganesh Parajuli | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Rambir Manandhar | Kathmandu 7 | ||
| 12. | Santosh Pariyar |  |
22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | – | elected as a proportional representative | |
| 13. | Indira Ranamagar | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 14. | Chanda Karki | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 15. | Nisha Dangi | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 16. | Asim Shah | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 17. | Shiva Nepali | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 18. | Ashok Kumar Chaudhary | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 19. | Binita Kathayat | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 20. | Laxmi Tiwari | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | ||||
| 21. | Bindabasini Kansakar | 22 December 2022 | 2 years, 264 days | Dhaka Kumar Shrestha |