KATHMANDU: Kishor Bahadur Karki, a directly elected central member of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), has formally announced his resignation from the party, citing internal decay, chronic factionalism, and leadership failures. In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, Karki said he could no longer be part of a party that “runs like a private club” and “insults loyal grassroots cadres.”

“I resign from even the general membership of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party,” Karki wrote. “From today, I will not belong to any party or faction. I will serve the nation and the people as an independent citizen, guided solely by conscience and principle.”

Karki, who once held key party responsibilities and worked closely with former prime ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa and Lokendra Bahadur Chand, as well as former party presidents Pashupati Shamsher Rana, Kamal Thapa, and Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, recounted his decades-long commitment to nationalism, constitutional monarchy, and democratic values.

“I always believed the party could become a strong force through shared vision, discipline, and collective commitment to national interest,” he wrote. “But recent developments have forced me into deep introspection.”

In an assessment of the RPP’s trajectory, Karki said the party had failed to evolve since its inception. He pointed to its origin in 1990 (2047 BS) as a split from within like-minded groups and argued that, despite three decades of “unity” rhetoric, it remained riddled with internal feuds, personal egos, and interest-based alignments.

“Collaboration among leaders never became permanent. Factions, favoritism, and backroom deals replaced principles and ideological clarity,” Karki stated. “In every election, we are forced to use new election symbols, leading to repeated defeats even for popular candidates.”

He added that such patterns have created “a crisis of trust and hope” among both party workers and the public.

Karki expressed concern over what he described as the “dictatorial and ad hoc” style of the current party leadership. According to him, the RPP is now being run “like a private company,” with senior leaders reduced to “silent spectators” and loyal cadres sidelined in favor of sycophants hoping for personal gain.

“Even individuals who do not meet the basic qualifications to be recruited as a soldier are being handed top responsibilities overnight,” Karki remarked. “Those who built the party at the grassroots are being humiliated and driven out.”

In a veiled reference to party president Rajendra Lingden, Karki lamented that a leader once considered a unifier had instead begun targeting and removing those offering honest criticism or constructive suggestions.

“When the leadership begins punishing contributors and focusing on expelling critics, the party has no future left,” Karki wrote.

Karki said he had spent years trying to push for reform from within but had come to the conclusion that the leadership’s ego and power-hungry behavior left no room for change.