Kathmandu- Former Minister for Energy, Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development Kulman Ghising wanted to immediately announce his withdrawal from the Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP) after submitting his resignation on Wednesday. However, leaders of the Ujyaalo Nepal Party (UNP) intervened and persuaded him to hold at least one decisive round of talks with RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane before making a final announcement.
Ghising resigned from the Cabinet amid growing internal pressure following a controversial unity agreement with RSP, under which he was expected to assume the position of vice-president. Soon after resigning, he held day-long discussions with UNP leaders, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the post-unification developments.
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A leader present in the discussions told Nepalpulse that Ghising was visibly upset and openly admitted that aligning with RSP had been a mistake. “He said the agreement was rushed and that joining RSP was a serious political error that now needed correction,” the leader said.
According to those close to the discussions, Ghising was prepared to publicly declare the collapse of the unity process with RSP on the very day he resigned. After submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Sushila Karki, he had planned to call a press conference to formally announce his separation from RSP.
However, senior UNP leaders urged restraint. They advised Ghising not to make a hasty decision based solely on media narratives and internal misunderstandings, and requested him to speak directly with RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane at least once.
Despite the intervention, Ghising remained unconvinced. Leaders said he was particularly frustrated by confusion over proportional representation candidate lists, what he perceived as an unfair distribution of party positions, and the handling of the central committee structure after the unity agreement.
“He feels the recent conduct of RSP leadership has made coexistence impossible,” one leader said. “He believes the parties cannot work together in the long run.”
During the internal meeting, Ghising also indicated that UNP could independently contest the upcoming elections. He suggested that parties which had already submitted proportional lists to the Election Commission could still revise them before the deadline, opening space for alternative alliances.
UNP leaders ultimately stopped Ghising from announcing an immediate breakup, citing lack of preparation and political timing. “If there is still a chance to reconcile, why dissolve the unity in haste?” one leader argued.
Later, addressing a press conference, Ghising clarified that the unity agreement with RSP had not yet been implemented. “Although my name was mentioned in the agreement between Ujyaalo Nepal Party and RSP, the agreement has not been executed. I have not taken membership of any political party so far,” he said.
At the request of UNP leaders, Ghising has now agreed to hold another round of talks with Rabi Lamichhane. However, skepticism remains strong within UNP ranks. Senior leader Jeetram Waiba said repeated assurances from RSP had not translated into action. “They promise discussions, but implementation never follows,” he said.
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Another UNP leader noted that Ghising now feels more comfortable leading the party independently after stepping down from government. “He believes UNP should move forward under his leadership once again,” the leader said.
Ghising had signed a seven-point unity agreement with RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane on Poush 14, with Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah as a witness. The agreement was signed unexpectedly while Ghising was in talks with UNP leaders regarding proportional list finalisation—an incident that reportedly angered several UNP leaders.
Meanwhile, RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane said on Thursday from Chitwan that the unity agreement would now move toward implementation. “The agreement was reached while he was in government. Now that he has resigned, we will take initiative to formalize it,” Lamichhane said.
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Political sources also indicate that Ghising’s team has held discussions with Harka Raj Rai Sampang and the Shram Sanskriti Party regarding a possible alliance or unification. Some sources claim the talks are at an advanced stage, with discussions even covering election symbols.
Senior UNP insiders further claim that Ghising is positioning himself for a prime ministerial bid in the next Parliament. According to them, Ghising believes that even securing over 20 seats could allow him to form alliances with established parties and stake a claim for the premiership—making a long-term alliance with RSP increasingly unlikely.
