KATHMANDU, Dec 27: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balen Shah and Energy Minister Kulman Ghising are holding crucial talks as efforts continue to forge a broader political alliance ahead of any formal agreement with Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Rabi Lamichhane.
Leaders familiar with the development said Shah and Ghising are meeting at the Jwagal residence of Kumar Ben in Lalitpur, with the aim of aligning positions before moving forward with RSP. Shah was also engaged in late-night discussions in Godavari on Friday with his adviser Kumar Ben, Bhupdev Shah, KP Khanal, and others.
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Shah and Ghising had earlier reached near-consensus on jointly advancing the Desh Bikash Party, after which intensive discussions began on forming a united front with RSP. As part of these efforts, RSP chair Lamichhane and Ghising have been holding separate meetings with Shah to bridge differences.
However, talks have stalled over disagreements on the party’s organizational structure. An RSP-affiliated leader said that Shah and Lamichhane have yet to find common ground on power-sharing within the proposed alliance.
RSP has proposed Shah as its prime ministerial candidate and offered him second rank in the party after Lamichhane. Shah, however, has not agreed.
Sources close to him said he favors a broader party that also accommodates leaders and cadres from other groups.
Despite the impasse with RSP, sources said Balen and Ghising are almost certain to move forward together, with expectations that their ongoing talks will soon yield a concrete decision.
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