Nepal Election 2026: How Rastriya Swatantra Party Emerged As New Political Force In Nepal

Nepal is all set for the March 5 general election to its 275‑seat House of Representatives. It is the country's first major poll since massive youth‑led protests in 2025 toppled the KP Sharma Oli government.

Among the newer parties, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional parties such as the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and the Nepali Congress.

RSP was launched by Rabu Lamichhane, managing director of Galaxy 4K television, in 2022. The party fielded candidates in 131 constituencies in the 2022 polls and won 7 direct seats and 13 proportional seats. The party got 10.7 per cent of the party list votes, making it one of seven national parties in Nepal's Federal Parliament.

After the election, RSP joined the coalition government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and its president, Rabi Lamichhane, became Deputy Prime Minister.

Later, RSP withdrew from the cabinet because the Supreme Court declared Lamichhane's citizenship invalid. He held American citizenship from 2007 to 2017.

In 2023, the RSP contested by-elections and won a seat in Tanahun‑1 and Lamichhane was re-elected from Chitwan‑2. In March 2024, RSP rejoined the coalition government, but the government collapsed a month later due to problems within the alliance.

Around the same time, the party expelled its general secretary, Mukul Dhakal, for breaking party rules. RSP continued to face political instability and internal issues.

After the Gen Z-led protests in 2025, some leaders left the RSP, and in December 2025, it merged with the Bibeksheel Sajha Party, headed by Samiksha Baskota.

For the upcoming elections, the party has released a manifesto outlining its main goals for the next five years. It aims to promote integrity and good governance, expand the middle-income population and ensure modern banking with every citizen's access to finance.

RSP also aims to raise the average income per person to $3000 in five years. Among other things, it plans to create 1.2 million new jobs across IT, construction, tourism, agriculture, industry, and services, increase electric power capacity to 15,000 MW and build a 30,000 km national highway network across the country.