KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has announced Dr. Lekh Jung Thapa as its candidate for the upcoming Rupandehi-3 by-election.

At a press conference held on Sunday evening, acting party president D.P. Aryal stated that Dr. Thapa was chosen through the party’s primary system.

According to Aryal, local leaders from the constituency, along with district and central representatives, cast their votes to select the candidate.

Nine aspirants had contested in the primary, including Parthibendra Upadhyay, Gyanu Paudel, Jit Bahadur Gupta, Madhu Prasad Aryal, Poonam Kumari Agrawal, Sulav Kharel, Kusum Maharjan, and Rachana Chhetri.

Aryal claimed that this was the first time such a primary process had been practiced in South Asia.

A by-election has been scheduled in Rupandehi-3 for November 3 after the demise of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) MP Deepak Bohora.