Bhattarai urges unity of new forces, calls for Lamichhane’s release

Highlighting the need for stronger collaboration among emerging political forces, former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has urged leaders of alternative parties to come together and challenge Nepal’s long-dominant political establishment.

Speaking at the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) “Comprehensive Political Dialogue” held in Kathmandu on Friday, Bhattarai stressed that RSP chief Rabi Lamichhane should be released from custody, saying he could contribute more effectively to national politics if allowed to face his case while outside prison.

Bhattarai expressed concern over what he described as “injustice” in Lamichhane’s case and said the time had come for new-generation leaders such as CK Raut, Swarnim Wagle, and Resham Chaudhary to unite under a single banner.

“If emerging forces join hands, the traditional parties will no longer be able to mislead the people,” he said, adding that decades of rule by old political groups had left the country stagnant and citizens disillusioned.

Bhattarai emphasized that genuine change in Nepali politics would only be possible through the collective strength of alternative movements capable of countering the entrenched influence of the Nepali Congress and communist parties.