RSP decides to quit Dahal government

Kathmandu, Feb 5: The Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on Sunday decided to quit the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government after the latter decided not to reappoint its party president Rabi Lamichhane as the Home Minister.

Central committee meeting of the RSP held at the party office in Basundhara decided to quit the government, said party member and Education, Science and Technology Minister Shishir Khanal, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Party leaders who have made it to the Dahal-led cabinet - Minister Khanal, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Dol Prasad Aryal and Minister of State for Health and Population Toshima Karki, will vacate their posts. However, the party will continue to provide support to the Dahal government, RSP leaders said.

Lamichhane lost his ministerial portfolio post the Supreme Court verdict which stated that the citizenship certificate he produced to contest the parliamentary election was invalid.

After winning 20 seats in the federal elections, Lamichhane's RSP had emerged as the fourth biggest party in the parliament.