Energy Minister Kulman Ghising, who recently signed an agreement to become the senior vice-president of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has claimed that he is not a member of any political party.
During an event held in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Ghising was asked whether it was appropriate for him to remain in a "civilian government" after joining the RSP. Ghising responded with a false statement, asserting, "I am not a member of any party."
However, in the seven-point agreement signed with RSP President Rabi Lamichhane on the night of December 29, the fourth points explicitly mentions appointing Ghising as vice-president.
"Rabi Lamichhane shall be the central president of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Kulman Ghising, DP Aryal, and Swarnim Wagle shall be vice-presidents," it states.
The agreement was signed by Anup Kumar Upadhyaya, chairman of the Ujyaalo Nepal Party, of which Ghising is the patron. According to the agreement, it is clear that Ghising holds the position of top-ranked vice-president in the RSP, followed by DP Aryal and Swarnim Wagle.
Furthermore, following this agreement, the RSP included 18 individuals from the Ujyaalo Nepal Party in its list of proportional representation (PR) candidates. The list even sparked dispute within the party after it was revealed that Ghising had included the names of his nephew and father-in-law in it.
Despite his denials, Ghising has been regularly attending meetings of the Ujyaalo Nepal Party.
Amid these developments, Prime Minister Sushila Karki advised Minister Ghising to leave the government during a Cabinet meeting on Monday.
"The prime minister said that he has done a good job within the government to create an environment for timely elections, and suggested that he may leave if he now intends to contest the polls and focus on party work," the source said.
