KATHMANDU — Ravi Lamichhane, chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Balen Shah, the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, are holding closed-door political discussions in Kupandole, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
The talks are taking place at the private residence of Balen Shah’s close aide, Kumar Byanjankar. The two leaders are meeting privately, with no other participants present inside the room.
Lamichhane arrived at the venue accompanied by former RSP lawmaker Asim Shah. Earlier, Sudhan Gurung, founder of the civic organization Hami Nepal and a Gen Z activist, also reached the location.
Gurung said he is stationed at the gate of the residence to prevent interruptions during the meeting. “I have locked the gate and am sitting outside,” Gurung said. “No one will leave until an agreement is reached.” According to Gurung, further discussions involving Energy Minister Kulman Ghising may take place in the coming days.
The meeting follows a six-hour-long discussion between Lamichhane and Shah held a few days earlier in Kathmandu’s Kamalpokhari area. Sources said Mayor Shah was dissatisfied with that meeting, citing the absence of a concrete political proposal from Lamichhane’s side. Following that discussion, Shah began consultations with other political figures.
Shah has been preparing to advance his political plans through the Desh Bikash Party, which uses the “Lauro” (walking stick) as its election symbol—the same symbol under which he was elected mayor of Kathmandu. However, he wanted to reach a clear conclusion with Lamichhane before moving forward.
Sources say Shah is seeking assurance of leadership of a parliamentary party and confirmation as prime minister following the upcoming elections. Lamichhane has not formally proposed Shah as a prime ministerial candidate, but the issue is understood to be central to the ongoing talks.
Political sources say today’s meeting is expected to determine whether the two leaders will move forward together or pursue separate political paths.
