Mamata Sharma Claims Injustice in RSP Candidate Selection

Mamta Sharma, the founding chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Madhesh, has stated that the leadership treated her unfairly during the candidate selection process. She had secured the third-highest number of votes during the selection of proportional representation (PR) candidates. However, following a merger with the faction led by former Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, she was placed seventh in the Madhesi women's category.

Sharma informed that she submitted an application to withdraw her name from the PR list after she was not placed according to the results of the preliminary voting. As a local of Bara-2, she stated that she had informed the party leadership of her desire to contest directly from that constituency.

"When I said I would leave the PR list to contest directly, all the leaders were happy. When Balen came to Janakpur, it was said that all Madhesh candidates would be given tickets," Sharma told Onlinekhabar. "The Chairperson said the responsibility was given to Manish ji. I kept waiting. It turns out the ticket had already been given to someone else." The RSP has fielded Chandan Kumar Singh in Bara-2, who joined the party from JSP Nepal.

Sharma expressed grievance that even though she was ready to be a candidate from any constituency in Madhesh if she couldn't get a ticket from Bara-2, the party did not provide one. She alleged that while the RSP should have proven its difference from other parties through its candidate selection, some leaders in Madhesh acted arbitrarily.

She said, "The objectives of the RSP are now in question. Tickets have been given to more than 90 percent old faces. Putting new clothes on old people doesn't make them new."

Sharma is currently a central member of the women's department. She complained that while leaders had been promising her a role in central politics, it was not reflected in their actions. She told Onlinekhabar that in 2022, she successfully fielded candidates in 25 out of 32 constituencies through her own efforts.

"I wasn't old enough to be a candidate then. I traveled to all areas to campaign for RSP and we fielded candidates," Sharma said. "In Madhesh, RSP received the highest PR votes from Bara. Because of that, Manish Jha and Laxmi Tiwari were able to become PR members of parliament."