Kathmandu, Dec 29: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, known as Balen, will be given second rank leadership status within the Rastriya Swatantra Party, according to party sources.
Balen and the RSP reached a seven point agreement at 4:15 am on Sunday. Although the document does not spell it out, party sources said it has been agreed that Balen will stand as the second ranked leader in the party hierarchy.
Clause four of the agreement states that Rabi Lamichhane will remain party chair, and that after the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, 2026, Balen Shah will be appointed parliamentary party leader and prime ministerial candidate.
Following the agreement, Balen is set to formally join the RSP. A party source said the central committee meeting to be held next will endorse the deal and bring Balen into the party as a central committee member.
This has raised questions about Balen’s position within the party. According to the source, the RSP plans to recognize him as the second ranked leader, but not assign him any formal office.
Asked if that meant making him vice chair, the source said no position would be given. Instead, Balen will be treated as a senior leader after the chair, based on political standing and future responsibility.
The source said Balen himself did not seek any post or rank. During talks on Saturday night, he clearly stated that he was willing to serve only as a central committee member.
“He has said he will remain just a central member,” the source said. “From our side, the agreement must first be endorsed, and along with that he should be nominated as a central member. In terms of rank, there is a proposal to place him second. This is not a formal position like chair or vice chair. It is recognition based on respect, with him projected as future parliamentary party leader and prime minister.”
At present, Dol Prasad Aryal ranks second in the party and Dr Swarnim Wagle third. Under the new arrangement, Aryal and Wagle would move down to third and fourth positions. The source claimed both leaders have agreed to this internally.
“This is all part of internal understanding. It was not demanded by Balen or his team. We proposed it as a responsibility,” the source said.
The RSP is also preparing to nominate other individuals from Balen’s group to the central committee and party posts. Several positions remain vacant, including joint general secretary and assistant spokesperson. Party leaders said these slots could go to members from Balen’s team.
“There is an understanding that no one from his core team will take top posts. It has been said Kumar Ben and others will not come in. If others do, that will be known later,” the source added.
Clause five of the agreement states that to strengthen and expand the party’s structure, youth activists and experienced experts will be brought in, and appointments will be based on merit, inclusion, and public image.
How the agreement came together
The agreement between the Balen and Rabi camps also includes ownership of the Gen Z uprising of September 23 and 24. It commits to building Nepal into a respectable middle income country within the next ten years through cultured political practice.
The deal confirms that Balen will align with the RSP, its blue flag featuring a white circle with a blue bell, and its election symbol, the bell. It calls on other reform oriented political forces, groups, and individuals to unite around the party’s principles, leadership, and symbol to advance democratic governance, prosperity, and social justice.
Negotiations had gone on throughout Friday, but talks stalled after Balen’s side insisted that Kulman Ghising and his Ujyaalo Nepal Party be included. While discussions later resumed, Ghising could not be reached during the final round of talks. Both sides then agreed to sign the deal without waiting further, though RSP leaders said dialogue with Ghising is still ongoing and the door remains open for future alignment.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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