KATHMANDU, June 3: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane held a series of high-level meetings with Indian political leaders, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during his ongoing visit to New Delhi, amid growing attention on Nepal-India relations and the future trajectory of bilateral engagement under Nepal's emerging political leadership.
Lamichhane, a former television journalist who rose to prominence as an anti-establishment political figure, is on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His party has emerged as one of Nepal's most influential political forces, making the visit closely watched in both Kathmandu and New Delhi.
According to sources, the meeting between Lamichhane and Jaishankar on Tuesday focused on Nepal-India development cooperation, people-to-people ties and ways to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar said on social media that he was pleased to meet Lamichhane and his delegation, describing the discussions as positive and constructive.
The India-Nepal 'Special Relations' Myth
As part of the visit, Lamichhane also held talks with BJP National President Nitin Nabin and other senior party leaders at the BJP headquarters under the party's "Know BJP" initiative.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the growing role of the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, in democratic participation, public discourse and future political leadership.
Welcoming the RSP delegation, Nabin highlighted the close and historic ties between Nepal and India, which he said are rooted in shared civilisational heritage, cultural connections and strong people-to-people relations. He noted that such interactions help strengthen democratic dialogue and party-to-party engagement between the BJP and the RSP.
Nabin also shared insights into the BJP's organisational structure, membership expansion strategy, candidate selection process and grassroots mobilisation model. According to a statement issued by BJP Foreign Affairs Department In-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale, the RSP delegation expressed interest in understanding how the BJP identifies and engages with local-level party workers and maintains organisational networks across the country.
The BJP president said the party's organisational strength has been built through continuous public outreach, booth-level engagement and citizen participation. He also highlighted the development-focused governance approach of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Senior BJP leaders, including National General Secretary Arun Singh, Member of Parliament Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament Bansuri Swaraj and Chauthaiwale, were present during the interaction. The delegation also visited the BJP Media Centre and Central Library and later attended a luncheon hosted by party leaders, which was joined by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Lamichhane's visit comes at a time when Nepal-India relations have attracted renewed attention following recent debates in Nepal over border issues, customs enforcement and the country's approach to engagement with its southern neighbour. While both countries remain closely linked through trade, transit and people-to-people ties, political observers view the ongoing exchanges as an opportunity to maintain dialogue and strengthen mutual understanding.
The delegation accompanying Lamichhane includes his spouse Nikita Poudel, RSP Joint General Secretary and Member of Parliament Bipin Kumar Acharya, RSP Secretariat Member and Member of Parliament Deepak Bohara, and personal secretary Pradip Acharya.
