Rabi & Balen initiate political collaboration
According to sources, the second-tier leaders from both sides have been actively engaged in intensive discussions over the past few days, and a concrete agreement is expected by Friday night.
KATHMANDU: A new political alliance appears to be taking shape as Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah have begun formal talks aimed at fostering collaboration. Both leaders have expressed their commitment to building an alternative political force in Nepal.
According to sources, the second-tier leaders from both sides have been actively engaged in intensive discussions over the past few days, and a concrete agreement is expected by Friday night.
Mediators Asim Shah, Aasif Shah, and Kumar Ben are preparing a detailed framework to guide the collaboration, while stakeholders from both camps are carrying out preparatory work to formalize the process.
The proposed draft focuses heavily on power-sharing arrangements. Reports indicate that in the unified party, Mayor Shah’s seniority will be placed just below President Lamichhane.
The two leaders have also reportedly agreed that Shah could be positioned as the prime ministerial candidate in the first phase following the upcoming elections—a reaffirmation of Lamichhane’s earlier commitment.
Earlier discussions on Dec 22 at Kamalpokhari had stalled, causing some friction as Shah had considered registering his own “Desh Bikash Party.” Concerned that a divided alternative front would benefit traditional political powers, mediators successfully brought both leaders back to the negotiating table.
Thursday’s talks reportedly covered key issues including the party name, election symbol, and candidate allocation.
Lamichhane proposed a 70-30 split in the proportional representation candidate list, while Shah emphasized selecting capable leaders and ensuring operational unity over strict numerical distribution.
Regarding the election symbol, Shah reportedly supports retaining RSP’s established “Ghanti” symbol. When asked by journalists whether the party would adopt “Lauri” or “Ghanti,” Lamichhane diplomatically responded, “Time will tell.”
The unification effort extends beyond Lamichhane and Shah. Influential figures, including Nepal Electricity Authority Executive Director Kulman Ghising, are also expected to join the alliance under Shah’s leadership.
Their recent meeting is seen as part of this broader collaboration.
