Kathmandu, Feb. 23 -- As the March 5 election draws near, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been hit by a wave of resignations from several provincial-level leaders who had until recently been at the forefront of the party's campaign. Most of those stepping down have cited a range of concerns, including allegations of financial irregularities and dissatisfaction over candidate selection.

Mamta Sharma, who served as the founding chair of RSP's Madhesh province committee and recently resigned from the party, said transparency within the party had been steadily eroding. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, she remarked that while the party publicly promotes accountability and clean politics, its internal practices tell a differe...