They have stated that the Ravi-Balendra unity should be considered as an event in Nepali politics, and that its political impact in the coming days remains to be seen.
What you should know
While the unity between National Independent Party President Ravi Lamichhane and Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah is causing waves in Nepali politics, major political parties have commented that it is natural for parties with similar views to unite.
They have said that the Ravi-Balendra unity should be considered as an event in Nepali politics, and its political impact in the coming days remains to be seen.
Congress Vice President Dhanraj Gurung has said that the agreement between Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) President Lamichhane and Shah is not unusual in politics. ‘I do not consider the agreement between Balendra and Ravi as unusual. Some agree, some join, some break. This is something that happens in the political journey,’ he said while talking to journalists at the party’s central office, Sanepa, ‘Therefore, it should not be considered strange. All challenges arise in politics. Politics does not move forward in an easy way.’
He said that the Congress had also faced the challenges of the Rana era and the Panchayat challenge in the past and was ready to face every challenge. He said, ‘Now, whoever comes together, I don’t take it very seriously.’
UML Deputy General Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said that unification when the agenda is agreed upon and separation when it is not should be taken as a normal thing in politics. He said that superiority should be achieved through political competition to make the democratic process transparent and clean, to bring the fragmented constitutional process back on track, and to advance the sustainable development plan through permanent peace.
‘In democratic practice, it is not considered strange for any person or group to unite with each other and separate when the issues are not agreed upon. In the meantime, keeping in mind the upcoming elections, some political figures and forces have announced that they have united with each other,’ he said at the party central office in Chyasal. ‘I do not want to take the Ravi-Balendra unity in any other way.’
Speaking at the party office in Chyasal, Bhattarai emphasized that making Nepal’s democratic process transparent and clean is the main thing. ‘How to bring our fragmented constitutional process back into harmony and how to advance the sustainable development plan through permanent peace in Nepal? This is the most important thing today,' he said, 'We must achieve superiority through political competition. UML is ready to face any challenge.'
UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet, however, commented that it was a clever alliance for the elections and did not seem to have any fundamental differences in politics.
Nepali Communist Party leader Shakti Basnet said that although unity between parties and their leaders with similar views is natural, the main thing is the impact it will have in the coming days. 'It is natural for those with similar views and tendencies to be together. The political impact of the unity between Ravi and Balendra remains to be seen,' he added, 'It remains to be clarified how they intend to move forward politically.'
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden said that it would be premature to comment on this unity now. 'We will have to wait for some time to see some things. Why and for what was the unity formed?’ Taking a dig at the move to go ahead with Balendra as the future Prime Minister in the agreement, he said, ‘When will he win the election and when will he become the Prime Minister? It is too early to say now.’
In that case, Lingden said that it is appropriate for those who share similar views to stand together. Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal President Manish Suman said that although the general public is interested in the Ravi-Balendra unity, it is too early to comment on its impact on Nepali politics.
