Dhakal's Candid Report Jolts RSP

Rabi Lamichhane's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) rose to prominence in a relatively short time in the country's political arena. The party soared to fourth place in the 2022 general elections, winning 22 seats in the 245-member House of Representatives, only six months after its formation. Besides its immensely popular chairperson, Lamicchane, some relatively unknown faces won the first-past-the-post election, defeating candidates representing traditional parties, while the party received proportional votes equal to those of the CPN-Maoist Centre, rendering it an important component of the current government.