Balen Shah Skips Rastriya Swatantra Party Meetings

Kathmandu. Prime Minister and senior leader of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Balen Shah, has stopped attending party meetings.

Balen had reached a 7-point agreement with RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichhane on Poush 13. As per the agreement, RSP presented Rabi as the party chairman and Balen as the candidate for the future prime minister.

RSP claimed that the agreement reached on the eve of the election was in line with the need and spirit of the Janji movement in Bhadra. Balen, who resigned from the post of Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Magh 4, contested from Jhapa-5 from RSP. On the same day, he assumed the post of senior leader at the RSP's central office in Vanasthali.

In the evening, he reached Janakpurdham, the capital of Madhesh Province, and addressed the 'Parivartan Udghosh Sabha' organized by the party on Magh 5. After filing his candidacy from Jhapa-5 on Magh 6 and embarking on nationwide election campaigning, he did not attend party meetings.

In the election held on Falgun 21, Balen defeated former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli by a significant margin. RSP managed to win close to a two-thirds majority, securing 182 seats.

After the election, Balen attended the central committee and parliamentary party meeting held at the party's central office in Vanasthali on Chaitra 12, but has not attended any party meetings since then.

However, General Secretary Kabindra Burlaoti claimed that Balen, being an invited central member and senior leader, would attend meetings as needed.

'He is an invited central member and senior leader of the party. He is the head of the government. He will attend party meetings when called as needed. He has attended parliamentary party meetings,' Burlaoti told Ratopati.

Balen is placed second in seniority after Rabi on the official website of RSP. In the roster of central committee members, he is listed as an invited senior leader.

Balen was absent from the secretariat meeting held on Chaitra 1. His absence from the training program organized by RSP on Chaitra 3 and 4 at Hotel Tulip in Gwarko also raised questions inside and outside the party.

On Chaitra 13, he was appointed Prime Minister and assumed office at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers the same day. After becoming Prime Minister, Balen did not attend the party meeting held at the RSP Parliamentary Party Office in Singh Durbar on Chaitra 19.

Due to the absence of the party's leader from the meeting called to discuss the appointment of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairman Rabi Lamichhane himself proposed Deputy Chairman DP Aryal as the candidate for Speaker.

However, Balen attended the parliamentary party meeting held on Chaitra 27 to decide on the Deputy Speaker.

He also attended the parliamentary party meeting held on Baishakh 3. At that time, the meeting decided to appoint Ganesh Parajuli as the Deputy Leader of the RSP Parliamentary Party, Kabindra Burlaoti as the Chief Whip, and Prakash Chandra Pariyar and Krantishikha Dhital as Whips.

Similarly, Balen was absent from the secretariat meeting held on Baishakh 6 and the central committee meeting held on Baishakh 7.

General Secretary Burlaoti stated that there is no compulsion for a senior leader to attend party meetings. He said that Balen would attend meetings when called.

'He has said that he will attend if the party calls him. There is no need to be concerned about his absence from meetings. He has attended when called,' Burlaoti said.