Kathmandu, May 26: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Rabi Lamichhane is set to travel to India for a three-day official visit starting June 1, even as diplomatic exchanges between Kathmandu and New Delhi appear to be entering a sensitive phase.
The visit, reportedly made at the invitation of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, has not been officially announced by either side. According to sources in Kathmandu and New Delhi, preparations are underway for a high-level itinerary that could include meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Officials familiar with the matter said Lamichhane’s visit is being planned as an early engagement with Nepal’s new political leadership, following RSP’s rise in national politics. One source in New Delhi described the outreach as an effort to “maintain high-level contacts with emerging leadership” in Kathmandu.
At the same time, observers note that the visit is taking place amid broader unease in bilateral ties, including delays in planned diplomatic exchanges and ongoing disagreements over issues such as border sensitivities and trade measures. Some Indian officials, according to sources, are aware that differences in leadership styles between Prime Minister Balen Shah and RSP chair Lamichhane have shaped the current political landscape in Nepal, and view Lamichhane’s visit as distinct from any official prime ministerial engagement.
A Foreign Ministry official in Kathmandu said there has been no formal communication from RSP regarding the visit to facilitate diplomatic arrangements. Meanwhile, sources in New Delhi indicated that a possible meeting between Lamichhane and Prime Minister Modi is being considered for June 2, though no confirmation has been made public.
The visit also comes after the postponement of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s planned trip to Kathmandu. It follows a period marked by tensions over issues including the Lipulekh border dispute and India’s concerns regarding Nepal’s customs duties on goods valued above Rs 100 imported from India.
Despite these developments, Indian officials have downplayed speculation of friction, describing the engagement with RSP leadership as part of routine political outreach to Nepal’s evolving political actors.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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