The Nepal Weekly 
June 26, 2025
With big traditional parties -CPN UML and NC- failing to respond to people’s expectations and pro-monarchists’ recent protests, Nepalis are feeling the need for a new political force that can preserve democracy, the constitution and deliver services to the people. That force is at the moment being planned through talks on merging of small but influential parties such as RSP, Naya Shakti and others.
It has been widely felt among the younger generation people that a new political force should come out to challenge the monopoly enjoyed by three major parties, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre with the repetition of the same old leadership. The talk of the town is that RSP led by Ravi Lamichhane may merge with Baburam Bhattarai led Naya Shakti Nepal to emerge a new political force.
As the movement launched by pro-monarchists against multi-party system and the republican set up adopted by the country one and a half decade ago was gearing up, there was a feeling among the democratic circle that a vibrant democratic party is highly needed as an alternative to the Nepali Congress, to preserve the hard earned achievements like inclusive democracy, republican set up and federalism. In the absence of an alternative democratic party, the oldest democratic party, Nepali Congress is compelled to join hand with leftist forces like the UML and the Maoist Centre. Political observers, who see no future for a die-hard communist party or communist rule in the country, in future, point out the urgency of an alternative democratic party, which can take up leadership of the country as and when needed.
The people’s expectations have lately grown higher and higher and the performance of old political parties could not match them. The country is facing problem in three major areas: youth unemployment, lack of good governance and rampant corruption in all the sectors. But it seems that the older political parties have no scheme to address these issues.
Against this background there are speculations that former Prime Minister and leader of Naya Shakti Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai is either entering the RSP or his party is merging with the fourth largest party in the Parliament. The Naya Shakti Party has recently decided to take initiative to start a dialogue or forge collaboration with alternative, progressive and democratic forces of the countries to come together for the sake of emergence of a new leadership that can steer the country in future. The party has also reached a conclusion that now the communist party cannot possibly take the leadership of the country in the changing context. Similarly, RSP has also formed a task force to initiate dialogue with other political parties so as to form an alternative political force in the country. “There is a need for unity and collaboration among the alternative political forces so as to form a new political force in the country,” said the party during one of its recent meetings.
Similar collaborative efforts are also being made by Madhesi parties like Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal led by Upendra Yadav and Janamat Party led by Dr. C.K. Raut in a bid to creating new political force. There are also speculations about Ghanashyam Bhusal of CPN-Unified Socialist, Netra Bikram Chand “Biplav,” C.K. Raut of Janamat forging collaboration to form a new political force.
What is almost certain is that the year 2084 won’t be a rosy path for the major political forces of Nepal as there is high possibility of either the emergence of a new dynamic political force or collaboration and unity among smaller parties to challenge the rationally strong political parties currently taking charge of power by hook or by crook.
