Nov 03, Kathmandu - Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has decided not to form a new political party. He has ended speculation that he will join any party amid talk of Balen also entering active politics after the "Gen-Z Movement" created a huge stir at the political level.

According to Balen's close aides, he has decided to complete his term as mayor of the metropolis without contesting the upcoming elections on Falgun 21. According to the aide, Balen will "neither form a new party nor join any old party." However, he has said that he will support parties or candidates that carry the agenda of the Gen-Z movement within the framework of the constitution.

After the collapse of the then KP Sharma Oli-led government following the Gen-Z movement, some of Balen's advisors are said to have discussed the possibility of allying with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). At that time, Rabi Lamichhane had prepared to hand over the responsibility of party leadership to Balen or Kulman Ghising. However, the matter could not be moved forward after leaders within the party, including Sobita Gautam, Dr. Swarnim Wagle and Deepak Bohara, expressed their disagreement.

Later, Ghising started preparations to form a new party with former MP Sumana Shrestha, which was rumored to include Balen. Balen has denied all rumors about this, saying, “I am not preparing to join any party or form a new party right now, but rather I will support those who carry the agenda of the Gen-Z movement while respecting the country and the constitution.”

Balen’s aides have said that he also has clear views on issues such as federalism, secularism, proportional representation, and directly elected chief executives. Balen supports all the provisions of the constitution and is in favor of further empowering the local level. If the parliament takes the initiative for a directly elected chief executive system, he is expected to support it too.