Kathmandu Mayor Balen engages in hectic political consultations aiming for national politics

Kathmandu, Dec 26 (PTI) Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah has started consultations to forge a potential alliance of emerging political forces ahead of the March 5 general election, amid speculations that he will be a prime ministerial candidate representing the youth.

Balendra Shah, 35, was a popular rapper before he fought and won Kathmandu mayor's election as an independent candidate in 2022.

Commonly known as Balen, he had earlier registered a new political party named 'Desh Bikas Party' (DBP) with a dummy president. “He is now likely to become active in national politics for building an alternative political force that can replace the traditional big parties,” according to sources close to him.

Efforts are underway to forge collaboration and unity among Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP) led by Ravi Lamichhane, Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) led by former energy minister Kulman Ghising and the DBP to challenge the big three traditional parties -- Sher Bahadur Deuba's Nepali Congress, K P Oli's Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and Nepali Communist Party led by Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda' in the upcoming general elections.

During the Gen Z movement that toppled the Oli-led government earlier in the year, although Balen played a key role from behind the scene, he didn't actively take part in the national politics.

“Balen appears to have become active in politics now and he is making efforts to bring all the new political forces, including the Gen Z youths, into one front,” according to former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, who met the Kathmandu mayor on Thursday.

“Mayor Balen wants to enter politics through Desh Bikas Party ahead of the general election and his recent moves are aimed at unifying the new political forces and to build a single political front to challenge the big parties,” he pointed out.

Bhattarai said he has also advised Balen to focus on the general election so as to bring the constitution on track and at the same time address issues such as good governance and checking corruption, the two main agenda of the Gen Z group.

“All the new forces should come together in the upcoming general election,” pointed out Bhattarai.

During marathon meetings from Wednesday through Thursday, Balen met a number of influential personalities from across the political spectrum with his consultations including meeting political leaders, social activists, entrepreneurs, Gen Z leaders and media persons.

The people Balen met included Ghising, Gen Z leader Raksha Bom and Nepali Congress leader Sunil Sharma apart from former independent lawmaker Amaresh Singh, leader of Nagarik Unmukti Party Resham Chaudhari, and leader of Janamat Party C K Raut.

Senior cardiologist Bhagawan Koirala and social activist Sagar Dhakal were also among those Balen met during the two days.

Ghising too had a fruitful discussion with Balen on Thursday, according to Raju Thapa, UNP spokesperson. “We are holding discussions on how to move forward and the talks are heading towards a positive direction,” Thapa said.

The discussion mainly included issues such as forging collaboration and alliance during the election and the result is expected in a few days, he added.

Earlier in September, in the aftermath of the Gen Z led protests, despite pressure to become the prime minister, Balen had not accepted the offer and instead facilitated former chief justice Sushila Karki to lead the caretaker government.

Three months down the line, Balen, Ghising, 55, and Lamichhane, 51, are seen as the future prime ministerial candidates on behalf of the new forces, according to observers keenly watching the developments. Gen Z youths too have sided with these three, they said.

However, Lamichhane still has a pending court case regarding cooperatives fund embezzlement, it is Ghising and Balen who are the forerunners for the post to represent the new political forces, they added. PTI SBP NPK NPK NPK