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Rastriya Swatantra Party

राष्ट्रिय स्वतन्त्र पार्टी

Nepalese political party

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The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) 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.

Quick facts

Type: political party wd
Established: 1 July 2022 wd
Official website: rspnepal.org wd
Coordinates: 27.7423° N, 85.3318° E wd

About

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.

Nearby places

Tokha — 1 km
Dhapasi — 1 km
Gonggabu — 1 km
Tokha Saraswati — 2 km
Mahankal, Kathmandu — 2 km
Khadka Bhadrakali — 2 km

In the news All news →

RSP issues seven-point directive to regulate internal elections and candidate selection6 November 2026
RSP chief takes a dig at cadres eyeing top posts over ward positions6 November 2026
RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane meets Indian foreign secretary5 November 2026
Political interference and internal power struggles shake Nepal Police after abrupt IGP change5 November 2026
New IGP appointment was government’s decision, not RSP’s, says Kabindra Burlakoti5 November 2026

Sources

Last updated 3 November 2026 · facts checked 7 November 2026

Cite this page

"Rastriya Swatantra Party". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/places/rastriya-swatantra-party. Retrieved 7 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Rastriya Swatantra Party, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Nepalese Election Symbol Bell.svg — RulesTheNation, CC BY-SA 4.0.