RPP candidate Thapa withdraws candidacy in Rupandehi-2 - english.makalukhabar.com

KATHMANDU: Karvika Thapa, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) candidate for Rupandehi Constituency No. 2, has officially withdrawn her candidacy. Thapa, who holds a U.S. permanent resident card (Green Card), announced her decision in a statement on Friday. Thapa is the daughter of RPP leader and former Law Minister Niranjan Thapa. She has been traveling between Nepal and the U.S. for many years and was reportedly preparing to return to the U.S. soon. In her statement, Thapa said she had pursued education and skill development abroad for the past 14 years and had been applying those skills in Nepal over the last eight years. She added that she had entered the race with the belief that young people need not go abroad for opportunities and can serve the nation while staying in Nepal. Thapa also clarified that while she had obtained a U.S. Green Card during her studies, she had not taken any other country’s citizenship and holds only a Nepali passport. However, after learning that Nepal’s constitution requires at least three months to pass after renouncing permanent residency before being eligible to contest elections (per Article 291), she decided to step down in accordance with constitutional provisions. She emphasized that her decision to withdraw, made with a “big heart,” was in line with both party request and constitutional spirit, even though no complaints or objections were filed against her candidacy. Thapa assured that her withdrawal does not end her commitment to public service, stating that she will continue working on technology, entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment, and good governance—both inside and outside politics—and will return to serve the people at the right time under clear legal conditions.