RSP Convention: Bastola to move SC over election result dispute
She alleged that candidates with fewer votes were declared elected, raising serious concerns about the transparency and adherence to established rules and procedures.
KATHMANDU: Pooja Bastola, a candidate in the inaugural general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has announced that she will file a petition in the Supreme Court, expressing strong disagreement over the results of the party’s central committee election.
Issuing a press statement on Friday, Bastola claimed that in the Gandaki Province geographical category she secured 913 votes, which, according to her, placed her among the top two women candidates and within the top five in the open category.
Despite this, she said she was not included among the elected members in the final results.
She alleged that candidates with fewer votes were declared elected, raising serious concerns about the transparency and adherence to established rules and procedures.
According to her, the final outcome released by the election committee contradicted the actual vote count.
“This is not a matter of personal victory or defeat. It is a question of system and process. If democratic procedures are violated and results differ from the actual vote count, it raises serious questions about the political culture we are trying to build,” she stated in the press release.
Bastola further emphasized that the strength of democracy lies not only in the final outcome but also in the credibility of the process leading to it.
She argued that a fair system ensures that winners can proudly accept victory while those who lose can respectfully accept the result.
She said she had already filed an official complaint with the party’s central election commission, but claimed she did not receive a satisfactory response.
She also alleged that attempts were made to suppress the issue, which led her to seek legal remedy through the Supreme Court.
Bastola reiterated that her struggle is not for personal gain but for respect of the votes cast by 913 representatives, procedural transparency, and institutional justice, stating that she will continue to stand for the integrity of the system rather than positions of power.
The RSP central election commission has not yet issued an official statement regarding the allegations.
