The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by Rabi Lamichhane, and the Bibeksheel Sajha Party, headed by Samiksha Baskota, formally announced their merger on Sunday amid a function held at the Rastirya Sabha Griha in Kathmandu.

The unification marks a new chapter for two groups that have positioned themselves as advocates of alternative politics in Nepal.

Following the merger, RSP leader Shishir Khanal confirmed that the unified party will continue to operate under the name Rastriya Swatantra Party and will retain the bell as its election symbol.

As part of the agreement, leaders from Bibeksheel Sajha will be incorporated into a federal leadership platform until the party’s next general convention. Members of this platform will hold a status equivalent to that of central committee members.

In addition to federal integration, the agreement outlines that responsibilities at the lower committees of the party will be allocated in a spirit of inclusiveness and mutual understanding. This approach, the parties said, is aimed at ensuring that organisational structures reflect the broader unity they hope to build.

The merger comes at a time when Nepal’s alternative political forces have been under pressure to consolidate. Earlier reports indicated that the RSP had been exploring broader alliances, with discussions under way with parties such as Ujyalo Nepal, formed under the patronage of Energy Minister Kulman Ghising, and other emerging groups.

The Bibeksheel Sajha Party has gone through multiple cycles of unification and fragmentation since its emergence as a champion of clean politics and youth-driven reform.

While some observers have argued that the merger signifies the end of its independent identity, party leaders have maintained that their legacy will now continue under the RSP banner.

A group of Bibeksheel Sajha Party leaders including Ramesh Paudel and Milan Pandey however did not join the merger process.