The Rastriya Swatantra Party, the fourth-largest in the dissolved House of Representatives, is organising a broad political dialogue Friday.

While the traditional parties are engaged in internal debates over how to move forward in the changed context following last month’s Gen Z uprising, the RSP, which emerged as a major party from the 2022 parliamentary elections, has initiated dialogue to collaborate with other alternative political forces.

According to RSP Acting President DP Aryal, the two-day secretariat meeting of the party held a few days ago had decided to convene a “broad political dialogue” and start open discussions on various political alternatives.

“Our party has initiated a broad political dialogue sensing a possibility of regression if meaningful cooperation among new political forces, independent thinkers, activists, and representatives of the younger generation does not materialise,” Aryal told the Post. He said the discussions are being held with an open mind.

According to the RSP, the dialogue aims to develop a common understanding of the origins, outcomes, and progressive messages of the recent movement, promote democratic values, prosperity, and nationalism through broad unity and cooperation, and explore the upcoming elections as an opportunity for strategic partnership and transformation.

The party’s secretariat meeting, held in June, had decided that an alliance of alternative forces should be formed under its leadership.

Party spokesman Manish Jha was appointed as coordinator of this front. The decision came at a time when the party was embroiled in various political confrontations—it was vehemently defending party chief Rabi Lamichhane in court cases, obstructing Parliament in protest, and demanding the resignation of then home minister Ramesh Lekhak over the visit-visa controversy.

After the traditional political parties ignored RSP’s demands, the party started working to build an alliance with an eye on the 2027 elections.

However, following last month’s Gen Z movement that toppled a near two-thirds majority coalition government of KP Sharma Oli, the political context changed. In response, the party formed a new committee led by central member Pukar Bam Malla to initiate dialogue with new and emerging forces such as Gen Z groups.

Later, the party decided to expand this dialogue and assigned its vice president, Swarnim Wagle, to lead the process. Wagle has since been heading the high-level dialogue committee.

According to the party’s Acting President Aryal, Friday’s political dialogue will be coordinated by party vice president Wagle along with Kabindra Burlakoti, the general secretary.

As the RSP organises the broad political dialogue, parallel discussions are taking place on bringing Energy Minister Kulman Ghising, who is a former chief of Nepal Electricity Authority, into the party with an offer of a leadership role. Likewise, several individuals are exploring ways to broaden the front by including leaders of the Gen Z movement, with support from influential Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah.

According to RSP leaders, the party began discussions with Ghising immediately after he was dismissed as the head of the NEA in March. They said the RSP has been in continuous talks with almost all figures and groups identified as ‘alternative forces’. They, however, said that no concrete decision has been reached on the formation of a united front of alternative forces.

“Our party is indeed in dialogue with Ghising, and we are also engaging with other alternative forces,” Aryal told the Post on Thursday. “However, there has been no discussion about offering Ghising the party’s leadership. In fact, Ghising will not be taking part in the broad political dialogue on Friday.”

Another party leader indicated that there are two lines of thought in the party on leadership. Some members feel that, as the party’s founding president Lamichhane is in judicial custody over allegations of embezzling cooperative funds, someone like Ghising could be brought in to lead the party.

“There have also been suggestions that bringing Ghising into the party leadership could make the RSP more attractive to Gen Z and other alternative political forces,” said a party leader on the condition of anonymity.

The same leader noted that there is consensus within the party to offer Ghising a respectable role if he joins the RSP. But he added that it would be difficult to hand over party leadership to Ghising.

While serving as the head of the NEA, Ghising faced allegations of financial irregularities. Referring to this, an RSP leader said, “During the first three years of the party’s formation, much of our time was spent defending party president Lamichhane against various accusations. Now that Ghising is being projected as the possible leader of the party, we are concerned that coming days might again be consumed defending the new leadership instead of focusing on our goals.”

Party leaders have indicated that many members and activists feel the RSP cannot be effectively run by the current Acting President Aryal and General Secretary Burlakoti. In this context, some argue why the party has not considered Vice-president Wagle as a candidate for party chief.

RSP leaders say that there have been calls within the party to be open-minded on this.

They argue that failing to create an environment that brings new forces together could allow the established political parties to regain power in the March 5 elections. According to them, a new leadership could help consolidate alternative forces at the centre.

There have been talks not only between the RSP and Ghising but also between the RSP and the Mayor Shah’s group over the formation of a unified alternative force.

On October 28, RSP Vice-president Wagle held discussions with Shah’s group on the issue. Although Shah’s chief adviser, Kumar Ben, usually leads such negotiations on the group’s behalf, in the latest dialogue Wagle held talks with Sushil Dhakal, another member of Shah’s group.

Though our multiple attempts to contact Kumar Ben failed, Mayor Shah’s chief personal secretary, Bhoop Dev Shah, told the Post a few days earlier that initiatives are underway to bring alternative forces together.

Meanwhile, RSP leaders say Mayor Shah had indicated he could have considered moving forward under Lamichhane’s leadership had the latter been out of jail.

Why, then, is the mayor himself not taking the initiative to form a party, and why are alternative forces seeking his support? According to sources familiar with the developments, one reason the mayor has not tried to establish a party is that having too many ‘alternative’ parties could backfire electorally.

The sources also pointed out that, with influence in the digital space expected to play a big role in the upcoming elections and given Mayor Shah’s strong presence online, alternative forces feel compelled to seek his support.

However, a source close to Shah also said that his group has been putting in even more effort than the RSP to bring together alternative forces. Ben, Shah’s adviser, repeatedly visited Lamichhane in Nakkhu prison to discuss the matter and was also in constant touch with Ghising.

Besides the RSP and Mayor Shah’s group, some Gen Z groups and those close to Ghising are also making efforts on their part.

During an interaction with Nepali students at the South Asian University in Delhi on Wednesday, Ghising said he had yet to form a political party as he wished to unite everyone. He mentioned that since 2016, he had been getting various proposals to launch a party.

Ghising also expressed his readiness to lead a new political force, provided that all emerging forces come together. He added that discussions among different forces on this matter are ongoing. “We don’t have much time,” Ghising said. “Once I return to Nepal, we will reach some conclusion.”

He returned home on Thursday.

According to Mukti Singh Lama, who has been involved in discussions on new party formation on Ghising’s behalf, the energy minister has been engaging not only with the RSP and Mayor Shah’s group but also with several other groups.

“Ghising has also been engaging in discussions on party formation with Gen Z groups and others,” Lama said.

The Election Commission has set November 16 as the deadline for party registration for the upcoming elections.

Sudan Gurung, one of the leaders who emerged from the Gen Z uprising, told the Post that they are still discussing party formation and preparations for the election. Gurung, however, claims that he has had no contact with Mayor Shah or the RSP on this matter.