KATHMANDU: As the deadline to submit the closed list of proportional representation candidates for the March 5, 2026 election approaches, talks are underway between Kulman Ghising, patron of the Ujyalo Nepal Party, and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Rabi Lamichhane.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah is also participating in the negotiations.
According to sources, the talks were facilitated by Sudhan Gurung, who identifies himself as a Gen-Z activist, along with a group of youths, who brought Ghising to the meeting. Ghising was reportedly taken from an ongoing central committee meeting at Antara Hotel in Boudha for the discussions.
The three leaders sat for talks in an effort to reach an agreement before submitting the proportional representation closed list to the Election Commission. The meeting comes despite Ujyalo Nepal having already prepared a full list of 110 proportional candidates.
A central committee member of Ujyalo Nepal said efforts are being made to reach an agreement as early as today. Ghising, however, has reportedly insisted on a provision to serve as prime minister for half of the parliamentary term following the election.
On the other hand, Balendra Shah, who has recently joined RSP, has reportedly told close aides that the Gen-Z movement has given him a mandate to serve a full five-year term as prime minister. This disagreement remains a major point of contention in the talks.
Meanwhile, Ghising is also in dialogue with the Progressive Democratic Party led by Janardan Sharma. Although there were attempts to reach an agreement to contest the election under a common election symbol, no consensus has been reached so far. The Progressive Democratic Party has already submitted its closed list.
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