Why is RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane Visiting India?

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Rabi Lamichhane is set to visit India on June 2 in what is being viewed as a politically significant outreach at a time when formal Nepal-India engagement has remained slow under the current government in Kathmandu.

The two-day visit is being arranged at the invitation of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The trip has already drawn attention in both Kathmandu and New Delhi, especially after discussions surfaced about possible high-level meetings during Lamichhane’s stay in the Indian capital.

Lamichhane is scheduled to leave Kathmandu for New Delhi on June 2. Preparations are also underway for a possible meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though the Indian side has not yet made any official announcement regarding the meeting.

His wife, personal secretary and two RSP lawmakers will accompany him on the visit. MPs Bipin Kumar Acharya and Deepak Bohara are also part of the delegation.

Meetings planned with Jaishankar and Doval

During the Delhi visit, Lamichhane is expected to hold talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Preparations are also underway to receive him at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, where a separate political meeting with BJP president Nitin Navin is expected to take place.

The visit is expected to focus on Nepal-India relations, regional cooperation and political dialogue between the two countries.

First major political visit after Balen-led government

Lamichhane will become the first major political leader from the RSP leadership to visit India after the formation of the government led by Balen Shah.

The visit comes at a time when there has been growing discussion in political circles over the lack of visible progress in Nepal-India relations despite the formation of the new government with strong parliamentary backing.

Prime Minister Shah’s own India visit remains uncertain. Against that backdrop, Lamichhane’s Delhi trip has started drawing political interpretation in Kathmandu.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s planned Nepal visit had earlier been postponed. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal’s India visit had also failed to move forward, adding further diplomatic weight to Lamichhane’s upcoming trip.

Ayodhya visit also planned

After completing his Delhi schedule, Lamichhane is also expected to travel to Ayodhya. Discussions are ongoing about his possible participation in religious and political programs linked to the BJP.

India has previously invited leaders of major Nepali political parties through its foreign ministry. Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal had also undertaken similar visits in the past.