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Rastriya Swatantra Party

Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:41:02 PM Wikipedia source

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (Nepali: राष्ट्रिय स्वतन्त्र पार्टी, lit. 'National Independence Party', abbr. RSP) is a centrist political party in Nepal. The party was running as a coalition partner in Prachanda-led government with four cabinet ministries from 6 March 2024 to 12 July 2024. Previously, it remained as a junior ally in the Prachanda-led government from 26 December 2022 until 5 February 2023. The party was announced by Rabi Lamichhane in June 2022 and registered with the Election Commission of Nepal on 1 July 2022, ahead of the 2022 Nepalese general election. The RSP was the fourth-largest national party in Nepal following the 2022 election.

Infobox

President
Rabi Lamichhane
General Secretary
Kabindra Burlakoti
Spokesperson
Manish Jha
Vice-President
Dol Prasad Aryal (acting president) Swarnim Wagle
Founded
July 1, 2022 (2022-07-01)
Headquarters
Chamati, Banasthali 16, Kathmandu
Membership
241,799 (2025)
Ideology
Economic liberalismMarket socialismProgressivism
Political position
Centre[A]
Colours
mw-
Slogan
अब जान्नेलाई छान्ने “Select the knowledgeable”
ECN Status
National Party (4th largest)
Lawyers' Wing
Swatantra Kanun Byawasayee Manch
Seats in Pratinidhi Sabha
21 / 275(Dissolved)
Seats in Rastriya Sabha
0 / 59
Mayors/Chairs
0 / 753

Tables

· Ministry responsible › Under Dahal Cabinet › From 6 March 2024 to 12 July 2024
S.N
S.N
Dahal III
S.N
Dahal III
Minister
Dahal III
Role
Dahal III
Assumed office
Dahal III
Left office
Dahal III
Tenure
1.
1.
Dahal III
1.
Dahal III
Rabi Lamichhane
Dahal III
Ministry of Home Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal
Dahal III
6 March 2024
Dahal III
12 July 2024
Dahal III
128 days
2.
2.
Dahal III
2.
Dahal III
Sumana Shrestha
Dahal III
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Dahal III
6 March 2024
Dahal III
12 July 2024
Dahal III
128 days
3.
3.
Dahal III
3.
Dahal III
Dol Prasad Aryal
Dahal III
Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security
Dahal III
6 March 2024
Dahal III
12 July 2024
Dahal III
128 days
4.
4.
Dahal III
4.
Dahal III
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha
Dahal III
Ministry of Youth and Sports
Dahal III
6 March 2024
Dahal III
12 July 2024
Dahal III
128 days
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
6 March 2024
12 July 2024
128 days
3.
Dol Prasad Aryal
Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security
6 March 2024
12 July 2024
128 days
4.
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha
Ministry of Youth and Sports
6 March 2024
12 July 2024
128 days
· Ministry responsible › Under Dahal Cabinet › From 17 January 2023 to 5 February 2023
S.N
S.N
Dahal III
S.N
Dahal III
Minister
Dahal III
Role
Dahal III
Assumed office
Dahal III
Left office
Dahal III
Tenure
Dahal III
Successor
1.
1.
Dahal III
1.
Dahal III
Dol Prasad Aryal
Dahal III
Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security
Dahal III
17 January 2023
Dahal III
5 February 2023
Dahal III
19 days
Dahal III
Sharat Singh Bhandari
2.
2.
Dahal III
2.
Dahal III
Shishir Khanal
Dahal III
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Dahal III
17 January 2023
Dahal III
5 February 2023
Dahal III
19 days
Dahal III
Ashok Rai
3.
3.
Dahal III
3.
Dahal III
Toshima Karki
Dahal III
State Ministry of Health and Population
Dahal III
17 January 2023
Dahal III
5 February 2023
Dahal III
19 days
Dahal III
Pushpa Kamal Dahal not allocated to anyone
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
17 January 2023
5 February 2023
19 days
Ashok Rai
3.
Toshima Karki
State Ministry of Health and Population
17 January 2023
5 February 2023
19 days
Pushpa Kamal Dahal not allocated to anyone
· Electoral performance › 2022 general election
No.
No.
Election
No.
Leader
%
Constituency votes
No.
Constituency votes
%
2022
2022
Election
2022
Leader
Rabi Lamichhane
Constituency votes
815,023
Constituency votes
7.77
Party list votes
1,130,344
Party list votes
10.70
Seats
21 / 275
Position
4th
Resulting government
Opposition
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
Opposition
· Leadership › List of Deputy Prime Ministers
Start
Start
No.
Start
Deputy PM
End
1
1
No.
1
Deputy PM
Rabi Lamichhane
Term in office
26 December 2022
Term in office
27 January 2023
Term in office
32 days
Assembly
2nd Federal Parliament of Nepal
Constituency
Chitwan 2
Prime Minister
Pushpa Kamal Dahal
No.
Deputy PM
Portrait
Term in office
Assembly
Constituency
Prime Minister
Start
End
Tenure
1
Rabi Lamichhane
26 December 2022
27 January 2023
32 days
2nd Federal Parliament of Nepal
Chitwan 2
Pushpa Kamal Dahal
· Members of Parliament › Pratinidhi Shabha (2022-dissolution)
1.
1.
No.
1.
MPs
Rabi Lamichhane
Assumed office
1 July 2022
End office
27 January 2023
Tenure
210 days
Preceded by
Position Created
Constituency
Chitwan 2
29 January 2023
29 January 2023
No.
29 January 2023
MPs
12 September 2025
Assumed office
Dol Prasad Aryal
2.
2.
No.
2.
MPs
Swarnim Wagle
Assumed office
28 April 2023
End office
2 years, 137 days
Tenure
Ram Chandra Poudel
Preceded by
Tanahun 1
3.
3.
No.
3.
MPs
Sumana Shrestha
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
-
Preceded by
elected as a proportional representative
4.
4.
No.
4.
MPs
Dol Prasad Aryal
5.
5.
No.
5.
MPs
Manish Jha
6.
6.
No.
6.
MPs
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Jeevan Ram Shrestha
Preceded by
Kathmandu 8
7.
7.
No.
7.
MPs
Toshima Karki
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Pampha Bhusal
Preceded by
Lalitpur 3
8.
8.
No.
8.
MPs
Hari Dhakal
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Surendra Pandey
Preceded by
Chitwan 1
9.
9.
No.
9.
MPs
Shishir Khanal
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Bhimsen Das Pradhan
Preceded by
Kathmandu 6
10.
10.
No.
10.
MPs
Sobita Gautam
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Preceded by
Kathmandu 2
11.
11.
No.
11.
MPs
Ganesh Parajuli
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Rambir Manandhar
Preceded by
Kathmandu 7
12.
12.
No.
12.
MPs
Santosh Pariyar
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
-
Preceded by
elected as a proportional representative
13.
13.
No.
13.
MPs
Indira Ranamagar
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
14.
14.
No.
14.
MPs
Chanda Karki
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
15.
15.
No.
15.
MPs
Nisha Dangi
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
16.
16.
No.
16.
MPs
Asim Shah
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
17.
17.
No.
17.
MPs
Shiva Nepali
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
18.
18.
No.
18.
MPs
Ashok Kumar Chaudhary
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
19.
19.
No.
19.
MPs
Binita Kathayat
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
20.
20.
No.
20.
MPs
Laxmi Tiwari
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
21.
21.
No.
21.
MPs
Bindabasini Kansakar
Assumed office
22 December 2022
End office
2 years, 264 days
Tenure
Dhaka Kumar Shrestha
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

References

  1. https://www.ratopati.com/story/522466/national-independent-party-members-241799
    https://www.ratopati.com/story/522466/national-independent-party-members-241799
  2. kathmandupost.com
    https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2023/11/30/rastriya-swatantra-party-adopts-pluralistic-democracy-as-its-guiding-principle
  3. "Mainstreaming of Social Protection Agenda in the Political Parties' Election Manifesto in Nepal"
    https://www.academia.edu/106495973/Mainstreaming_of_Social_Protection_Agenda_in_the_Political_Parties_Election_Manifesto_in_Nepal
  4. Kathmandu Post
    https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2022/12/01/can-the-swatantra-party-answer-the-bell
  5. Rastriya Swatantra Party
    https://api.rspnepal.org/manifesto/download
  6. kathmandupost.com
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  8. My Republica
    http://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/134894/
  9. The Himalayan Times
    https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/rastriya-swatantra-party-decides-to-quit-govt
  10. GorakhaPatra
    https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/12850
  11. OnlineKhabar
    https://english.onlinekhabar.com/rastriya-swatantra-party-pp-election.html
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  17. kathmandupost.com
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  18. ekantipur.com
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  23. myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com
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  28. Khabarhub
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  32. अब आश्वासन बिक्दैन, मतदाता जागरुक भइसके| Gbate With Nava Raj Pandey | Sishir Khanal | EP-178
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  46. The Annapurna Express
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