As the homework for government formation intensifies within the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a fierce internal conflict has begun over who will hold the keys to the most powerful Home Ministry. An intriguing cold war is brewing behind the scenes between the party's senior leader and future Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) and Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane regarding this very ministry. Balen, who is preparing to lead the government, is looking for a team that complements his working style, while Chairman Lamichhane wants to keep the reins of power within his 'core team' at any cost. Under these circumstances, the Balen group seems unwilling to hand over the Home Ministry to the 'Rabi Lamichhane Club (RLC)' in any situation.
With a strategy to maintain his influence inside and outside the party, Rabi's group has currently floated the rumor in the market of making Vice-Chairman DP Aryal the Home Minister. However, according to high-level party experts, this is merely a clever 'media trial' thrown out to gauge the mood of the public and the party. Clarifying this, a high-level RSP source said, "It is completely natural for the 'Rabi Lamichhane Club' within the RSP to seek the Home Ministry; the current media trial using DP Aryal's name is a product of this very strategy."
What's even more interesting is the source's claim that DP Aryal's name is being used merely as a weapon of distraction or a 'decoy'. Only after DP's name gets enough traction in the media and party circles, sparking fake debates, will Chairman Lamichhane play his real 'trump card'. At the last minute, Rabi has made internal preparations and laid out a plot to propose the name of his highly trusted confidant, Deepak Bohora, for the leadership of the Home Ministry instead of DP Aryal.
Deepak Bohora, who has been pushed forward in the ministerial race, is a well-known former journalist who worked as a colleague alongside Rabi Lamichhane for a long time before entering politics. He is a very close associate who even worked as the program producer of Rabi's highly popular television show, 'Sidha Kura'. Party insiders have started analyzing that by handing over the keys of the home administration to Bohora—who has been Rabi's companion in every joy, sorrow, and strategy since their media days—Rabi wants to control power from behind the scenes.
However, Balen and his group appear fully aware and alert to all these internal strategies and the 'Plan B' of the 'Rabi Lamichhane Club'. Balen maintains a clear and firm stance that to successfully lead the government, he must have his own trusted grip on the home administration. Therefore, he has already sent a clear message that he will not give the Home Ministry to Rabi's former colleague or any of his confidants, which guarantees that the cabinet expansion process within the RSP will become even more complicated and interesting in the coming days.
