KATHMANDU: Energy Minister and Ujyaalo Nepal leader Kulman Ghising’s visit to Dharan on Sunday has highlighted the growing political distance between Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang and Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, with Ghising increasingly aligning himself with Balen.
Although both Ghising and Sampang were in Dharan at the same time, the two did not meet, a conspicuous absence that comes amid Sampang’s escalating criticism of Balen. In recent weeks, Sampang has been openly attacking Balen on social media, accusing him of preventing his entry into the federal government and blocking his chances of becoming a minister.
As tensions between the two mayors intensify, Ghising’s political posture appears to be shifting. During his eastern Nepal visit, Ghising publicly shared a photograph with Balen on Facebook, signaling a strengthening relationship with the Kathmandu mayor. Party insiders say the two leaders have held talks about advancing a joint political journey under Ujyaalo Nepal.
The missed meeting in Dharan has fueled further speculation about a widening rift between Sampang and Ghising. Earlier, several identity-based leaders close to Sampang’s Labour Party had defected to Ujyaalo Nepal, adding to the strain. Sampang, in response, has been accelerating his own party’s organizational expansion in the eastern hills.
Ghising, addressing a program in Dharan, indirectly cautioned against the belief that any single party alone represents the nation’s alternative force, a remark widely interpreted as aimed at Sampang.
Following his Dharan stop, Ghising is scheduled to continue his interactions in Belbari and Jhapa before returning to Kathmandu.
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