Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Rabi Lamichhane and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah met to discuss possible cooperation for the upcoming House of Representatives elections.

The talks began at 7 pm on Monday at the residence of former RSP lawmaker Asim Shah in Kamalpokhari and continued until 1:30am on Tuesday. Participants included RSP vice-chair DP Aryal, Asim Shah, Asif Shah, Kumar Ben, and filmmaker Nischal Basnet.

Asim Shah described the discussions as “cordial” and focused on addressing Nepal’s current political challenges. “We are like brothers. We will pursue our political journey together and aim to bring alternative forces into the mainstream of Nepali politics,” he said.

The meeting included both one-on-one and group discussions. Shah called it an “icebreaker,” adding that the two sides reached an agreement in principle to work together in some form, with details to be worked out later.

He said that such extensive dialogue between Lamichhane and Balendra Shah was unprecedented, apart from a previous visit to the home ministry when Lamichhane was a minister. Both leaders agreed to continue political discussions in the coming days.