Ministerial positions Pashupati Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana assumed the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs shortly after the 1990 restoration of multiparty democracy, which marked the end of the Panchayat autocratic system and initiated a transitional phase in Nepal's governance. During this period, his diplomatic efforts emphasized maintaining Nepal's non-aligned stance amid pressures from neighboring India and China, as well as emerging engagements with Western powers, thereby preserving national autonomy in foreign policy formulation. This approach aligned with historical precedents of Nepalese leaders who prioritized sovereignty through pragmatic balancing of great-power interests, avoiding over-reliance on any single external actor. Rana subsequently served as Minister of Finance in the immediate post-1990 democratic interim government, focusing on stabilizing public finances during economic uncertainty following political upheaval. His brief tenure addressed foundational fiscal management in a nascent multiparty framework, though quantifiable outcomes such as debt reduction or revenue enhancements are sparsely documented in contemporary accounts. In the mid-1990s, Rana held the position of Minister of Water Resources, where he advanced infrastructure initiatives centered on hydropower and irrigation to capitalize on Nepal's hydrological assets. A key action was tabling the Mahakali Integrated Development Treaty in parliament in 1997 for ratification, which outlined joint utilization of the Mahakali River for power generation and agriculture with India, potentially enabling multi-gigawatt hydropower capacity while raising concerns over equitable resource control and long-term sovereignty implications. His advocacy for such projects underscored the causal linkage between untapped water resources and economic self-sufficiency, positioning hydropower as a cornerstone for reducing Nepal's energy deficits without compromising territorial integrity.
Rashtriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana positioned himself as a proponent of ideological consistency within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), emphasizing the reinstatement of a Hindu state and constitutional monarchy as foundational tenets amid perceived dilutions in the unified party's post-2016 merger direction. On August 6, 2017, Rana led a factional split from the RPP, registering the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Democratic)—also known as RPP-Prajatantrik—at the Election Commission, citing irreconcilable differences with Chairman
Kamal Thapa over pragmatic alliances like joining Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba coalition government, which Rana argued undermined commitments to monarchist and Hindu nationalist principles. The departure reduced the original RPP's parliamentary strength from 37 seats, highlighting fractures in sustaining unity after the November 2016 merger of Thapa's RPP-Nepal and Rana's earlier RPP faction. Subsequent leadership tensions in 2018 involved merger negotiations with Thapa's RPP and
Prakash Chandra Lohani's group, where Rana advocated stricter adherence to pro-Hindu state and monarchy restoration amid broader dissatisfaction with republican governance's corruption and instability, though talks stalled over power-sharing and policy priorities. These dynamics reflected causal pressures from voter disillusionment with mainstream parties' failures, bolstering Rana's faction's appeal to traditionalist constituencies prioritizing cultural and institutional restoration over expediency. Rana's resolve culminated in a 2019 merger with Lohani's Ekata Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Rastrawadi), forming the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Samyukta) on January 31, which reaffirmed dual leadership and ideological focus on
Hindu Rashtra and
Constitutional monarchy, enabling consolidated outreach to bases alienated by multiparty system's inefficiencies. This realignment sustained the party's niche support, as evidenced by its ability to field candidates in subsequent polls drawing from royalist and Hindu revivalist voters, though overall RPP variants garnered under 2% national vote share in 2017 provincial elections, linking turnout gains in conservative strongholds to anti-corruption messaging rooted in pre-republican nostalgia.
Later electoral roles Rana was sworn in as the senior-most member of
Nepal's House of Representatives (HoR) on December 21, 2022, following his election from the
Rastriya Prajatantra Party in the November 2022 general elections. His precedence stemmed from verified age, positioning him to administer oaths to other lawmakers the following day, December 22. In this capacity, Rana assumed the temporary role of Speaker for the initial HoR session, overseeing parliamentary procedures and pledging impartiality amid political transitions. He described himself as a "guardian of the country," committing to coordinate across parties, advance multiparty democracy, and ensure procedural integrity without favoritism. Into 2024 and 2025, Rana continued active parliamentary involvement, including service on the Parliamentary Hearing Committee. His public engagements featured critiques of contemporary governance, favoring historical figures like Jung Bahadur Rana for their role in preserving sovereignty through decisive leadership, in contrast to perceived inefficiencies under leaders such as
K.P. Sharma Oli. He warned of risks from unbalanced foreign relations with powers like India, China, and the United States, urging skilled diplomacy to safeguard Nepal's independence rather than allowing external pressures to undermine it. ==Titles, styles and honours==