Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) was named the prime ministerial candidate in Nepal.
The agreement claims ownership of the youth-led anti-corruption movement and is expected to draw strong Gen Z support.
It will strengthen emerging political forces after the fall of the Oli-led government.
Nepal: Balen Shah Named Prime Ministerial Face as RSP Seals Pre-Poll Pact
The pact designates Balen as parliamentary party leader, retains Rabi Lamichhane as RSP chair, and confirms that the alliance will contest under the RSP’s ‘Bell’ election symbol.
Summary
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, was on Sunday announced as the prime ministerial candidate after he reached an agreement with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to jointly contest the March 5 Nepal elections.
The seven-point deal, finalised after overnight marathon talks, names the 35-year-old Balen as the parliamentary party leader and the prime ministerial face. Under the arrangement, Rabi Lamichhane will continue as chairperson of the RSP, which was the fourth-largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR).
According to the agreement, Balen and his group will contest the elections using the RSP’s election symbol ‘Bell’, as allotted by the Election Commission.
With Balen agreeing to merge his team into the RSP, the party’s name, flag and election symbol will remain unchanged.
After the pact was sealed, Lamichhane said the consensus should reflect the needs of the country rather than the ambitions of individual leaders. He shared these remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday morning.
The agreement notes that both sides have taken “ownership of the movement launched by the younger generation against corruption and bad governance” and reaffirmed their commitment to address the demands raised by Gen Z protesters in Nepal, including those injured during the movement.
Political observers view the alliance as a major step toward consolidating emerging youth-led political forces that spearheaded the September movement, which resulted in the collapse of the KP Sharma Oli-led government.
Following the agreement, a significant number of Gen Z supporters are expected to join the RSP.
Meanwhile, another newly formed group, the Ujyalo Nepal Party, led by Energy and Water Resources Minister Kulman Ghising, has yet to announce its position. Ghising has held multiple rounds of talks with Balen on unity and collaboration.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior RSP leaders, including Dr Swarnim Wagle, DP Aryal and Shishir Khanal, along with Asim Shah from Lamichhane’s side. Kumar Byanjankar, Nishchal Basnet and Bhoop Dev Shah represented Balen Shah’s camp.
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