“The people and their votes are like the wind. It may blow in different directions. But we did not ride the wind; we changed the course of the river.”
Prime Minister Balendra Shah, known as Balen, used that image on Sunday at the first general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Chitwan. It was his first major public address since he formed a government after the March 5 elections and the Gen-Z protests that preceded them. His argument was that the shift that brought the RSP to power is not temporary. Once a river returns to its natural course, he suggested, it keeps flowing that way.
The vehicle and the expressway
Balen said his government would keep moving toward its goals without needless interruption. He put it in terms of a car. “The government is like a vehicle. It has both an accelerator and a brake,” he said. “But our vehicle is not travelling on local roads. It is moving on an expressway. It will apply the brakes only when it reaches its destination.”
Party identity and discipline
Rivals keep asking whether the RSP is left, right or centre. Balen waved the question away. “You do not need to worry too much about whether our party is left, right, or centre,” he said. “We are a development-oriented party. We are a party of action and progress.”
He also warned his own members against forming blocs. “Do not plant the seeds of factionalism today,” he said. “Tomorrow those seeds will grow into trees that will be difficult to uproot.” Successful politicians, he argued, should win public trust instead of building power bases inside the party.
On the next election, he said the RSP would arrive with fresh promises. “We entered politics with an agenda of good governance. We promised to address issues such as squatters and cooperative fraud, and we will resolve them during this term,” he said. “We will not go to the next election with the same agenda. We will present a new one.”
Corruption, but no revenge
Balen said his government would not pursue political retaliation. “Our party is focused on moving forward. We are not interested in settling old political scores,” he said. “However, if public property has been misused or government funds have been abused, those matters must be investigated.”
He said the government would work with constitutional bodies and regulators according to set procedures, but would not hesitate to look into irregularities. Past cases involving financial misconduct, misuse of public resources or abuse of authority could be examined, which suggests unresolved corruption files may be reopened.
Lipulekh and Kalapani
The prime minister restated Nepal’s claim over Lipulekh and Kalapani, a message aimed at both India and China. He said historical evidence backs Nepal’s position and pointed to documents in British records that he said should be examined.
Nepal is not seeking outside mediation, Balen said. His government will deal directly with its neighbours and look for a settlement through bilateral dialogue, handling the matter through legal and diplomatic channels in line with national and international law.
