Kulman Ghising Preparing to Form a New Political Party

Kulman Ghising, who became popular for ending electricity load-shedding when he led the Nepal Electricity Authority, had also served as Energy Minister in the interim government led by Sushila Karki during the “Gen Z” movement.

Now, with the national election coming up on March 5 (21st Falgun), Ghising is preparing to form a new political party. He has been talking with different groups, saying that alternative forces in politics should unite. But after seeing that it will be difficult to agree with others, he has decided to move forward alone.

Plan for a New Party: Ujyalo Nepal

People close to him say that Ghising will register a new partypossibly called “Ujyalo Nepal Party” with the election symbol a light bulb. The application to register this party has already been submitted to the Election Commission.
It is not yet clear whether Ghising will personally lead the party or just be a member. For now, he plans to continue as Minister while forming the new party.

Talks with Other Groups

Recently, Ghising has been in talks with members of the Bibeksheel Sajha Party and Nepal Gen-Z Front, led by Raksha Bam. However, they could not agree on the party name or election symbol. Some leaders felt that creating a party centered on one person might cause problems later.
Leaders from the Gen-Z Front say they want all young forces to come together under Gen-Z leadership, but Ghising does not seem ready to join that plan.

Ongoing Discussions Among Other Parties

Former Bibeksheel Sajha chairperson Milan Pandey also said that discussions are ongoing among all groups, but no final decision has been made. He believes leadership should be decided through cooperation, respecting the mandate of the Gen-Z movement.

Within the Nepal Gen-Z Front, some members are also planning to turn their front into a political party to make their movement official. They are selecting leaders at the provincial and district levels. Front member Yujen Rajbhandari said they want to organize their movement first and then move into politics.

Other Alliances and Proposals

After differences with Gen-Z leaders, Ghising started talks with CK Raut’s Janamat Party and Ranjita Shrestha’s Nagarik Unmukti Party. He is also considering working with activists like Sagar Dhakal.

Former Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Sumana Shrestha said that a new political party should represent the Gen-Z movement. She believes if Gen-Z leaders don’t enter politics, old parties will suppress their movement.

Sumana also discussed political plans with Kulman Ghising and other new groups. She supports the idea of collective leadership rather than one-person control.

Why Kulman Left the RSP Plan

Earlier, Ghising had also considered joining the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). He was in talks with its dialogue committee led by Pukar Bam. Ghising reportedly said he could take leadership if Rabi Lamichhane stepped back from the top role. Even Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah was said to support this idea.
However, RSP leaders were not ready for that change, so Ghising decided to create his own party instead.