New Delhi: Hours after Nepal PM K.P. Sharma Oli resigned over mass protests against corruption, youth protesters stormed into the Nakkhu prison in Lalitpur and freed Nepalese politician Rabi Lamichhane.
The former Deputy Prime Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson, and the Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah are seen as strong PM contenders.
Though Lamichhane’s political career is marked by a meteoric rise and fall in the past two years, he remains a favourite among Nepali youth.
Nepal’s democratic journey has seen many hurdles. It wasn’t until 2006, after the Jan Andolan II (People’s Movement), that the monarchy was abolished and a full multiparty democracy was introduced. Even earlier, in 1990, King Birendra had agreed to a constitutional monarchy in response to mass protests.
But in the nearly 30 years since, no government has completed a full five-year term. This endless cycle of instability has sparked widespread disillusionment, particularly among Nepal’s youth.
Even before the current protests, in 2023, there was a growing wave of frustration, voiced through social media, on the streets, and in the ballot box.
A Facebook page, titled “No, Not Again”, had become a rallying cry for those rejecting traditional parties and recycled politicians. When Nepal’s Election Commission attempted to ban the page, the Supreme Court stepped in, upholding freedom of speech and political expression.
This is also when a new generation of leaders decided to shake up the status quo. These new leaders included Rabi Lamichhane, a former TV journalist known for confronting corrupt officials live on-air.
Lamichhane, 51, along with Balendra Shah, 35, represents a deep generational shift, not just in age, but in political expectations and credibility.
Lamichhane had been behind bars for months, accused in a cooperative fraud scandal in 2025. But even from within prison walls, his influence never faded, especially among Nepal’s youth and online communities, where he continues to be hailed as a symbol of anti-corruption and a voice of a frustrated generation.
Rise of the leader
Rabi Lamichhane first captured national attention not in Parliament, but on television. In April 2013, he made headlines by hosting a marathon talk show on News24, setting a Guinness World Record with over 62 hours of continuous broadcasting. The show featured live interviews with politicians, celebrities, and public figures, along with open phone lines for viewers. His record was later surpassed by Romanian host Alexandru Raducanu, but Lamichhane had already carved out a unique space for himself in Nepal’s media landscape.
He went on to host ‘Sidha Kura Pradhanmantri Sanga’ (Straight Talk with the Prime Minister) on Nepal Television, interviewing then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. But it was ‘Sidha Kura Janata Sanga’ (Straight Talk with the People) that cemented his reputation as a bold voice against political corruption and bureaucratic rot. His signature style—direct questioning, live confrontation, and unfiltered public grievances—made him very popular.
In 2022, he quit TV and sensing a deepening public disillusionment with traditional parties, Lamichhane founded the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to champion transparency and youth-led reform.
In November 2022, he won his seat by a landslide, defeating both an incumbent minister from the Nepali Congress and a sitting MP from the CPN-UML. His newly formed party also stunned the establishment by winning 20 seats, becoming Nepal’s fourth-largest parliamentary party.
Following the elections, the RSP joined the governing coalition under Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), and Lamichhane was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs.
Controversies
However, his meteoric rise hit turbulence in January 2023. A legal challenge questioned his citizenship status, alleging he had failed to properly re-acquire Nepalese citizenship after renouncing his U.S. citizenship. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the challenge, effectively nullifying his election and stripping him of his ministerial posts.
Lamichhane then swiftly completed the legal formalities to regain his citizenship and re-contested the April 2023 by-election in Chitwan-2. Not only did he win again, but he increased his margin, reinforcing his political legitimacy and the loyalty of his base.
Lamichhane was arrested in 2019 for alleged abetment in journalist Shalikram Pudasaini’s suicide but was later acquitted. In 2023, his driver died after falling from a building but the police ruled it an accidental death. He was previously accused of holding dual passports, which is illegal in Nepal, but wasn’t prosecuted.
As Home Minister, he approved a controversial contract for the National ID system, violating procurement laws. His foundation, Rabi Lamichhane foundation, was also under investigation for misusing hospital funds and IMF-related subsidies. He was implicated in a cooperative fraud case involving a joint account used for salary disbursements. In April 2025, he was arrested after a high court ruling revived fraud charges in the cooperative case. The Supreme Court upheld his custody, citing risk of evidence tampering and credible preliminary evidence.
He was awaiting trial when the protests started and he was freed.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)