Nepal polls: Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah named PM candidate

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah was connected Sunday (December 28, 2025) nominated the premier ministerial campaigner arsenic helium and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) inked a pact to jointly contention the March 5 Nepal elections.

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The seven-point agreement, reached aft overnight marathon negotiations, designates 35-year-old Mr. Shah arsenic the parliamentary enactment person and the premier ministerial face, portion Rabi Lamichhane volition proceed arsenic chairperson of the RSP, the fourth-largest enactment successful the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR).

As per the agreement, Mr. Shah and his radical volition contention the elections connected the RSP’s predetermination awesome ‘Bell’, allotted by the Election Commission. With him agreeing to merge his squad with the RSP, the party’s name, emblem and predetermination awesome volition stay unchanged.

Following the agreement, Mr. Lamichhane said the statement should bespeak the needs of the state alternatively than the ambitions of idiosyncratic leaders. He shared the remarks successful a Facebook station connected Sunday greeting (December 28, 2025). The statement states that the 2 sides person taken “ownership of the question launched by the younger procreation against corruption and atrocious governance”, and expressed committedness to code the demands raised by Gen Z protesters, including those injured during the movement.

Political observers spot the pact arsenic a important measurement towards uniting emerging youth-led governmental forces that spearheaded the September movement, which led to the autumn of the K.P. Sharma Oli-led government. Following the deal, a ample fig of Gen Z supporters are expected to articulation the RSP.

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Another recently formed group, the Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) led by Energy and Water Resources Minister Kulman Ghising — who has held respective rounds of talks with Mr. Shah connected unity and collaboration — is yet to denote a determination connected joining the alliance. The signing ceremonial was attended by elder RSP leaders, including Swarnim Wagle, D.P. Aryal and Shishir Khanal, on with Asim Shah from Mr. Lamichhane’s side. While, Kumar Byanjankar, Nishchal Basnet and Bhoop Dev Shah represented Mr. Shah’s camp.