Rabi Lamichhane, former Nepal Deputy Prime Minister and chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was freed from prison last year after youth protesters entered the Nakkhu jail in Lalitpur. The event came only hours after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned following mass protests over corruption, lack of employment opportunities and crony capitalism.
Lamichhane's party is officially registered and will contest the House of Representatives elections on March 5. He is running from the Chitwan-2 constituency and, along with former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, is considered a strong candidate for prime minister.
Television To Politics
Rabi Lamichhane first rose to fame as a television journalist. In April 2013, he hosted a marathon talk show on Nepal's News24. He broadcast live for over 62 hours and set a Guinness World Record. The programme saw interviews with politicians, celebrities, and public figures, as well as live call-ins from viewers.
He later hosted Sidha Kura Pradhanmantri Sanga (Straight Talk with the Prime Minister) on Nepal Television, interviewing then-Prime Minister Oli. It was Sidha Kura Janata Sanga (Straight Talk with the People) that cemented his reputation. He was known for direct questioning and unfiltered confrontation.
Rise Of The Rastriya Swatantra Party
Sensing that people were frustrated with traditional parties, Lamichhane left television in 2022 and started the Rastriya Swatantra Party. In the November 2022 elections, he won the Chitwan-2 seat by a large margin, beating a Nepali Congress minister and a sitting CPN-UML MP. His party also won 20 seats, becoming Nepal's fourth-largest in parliament.
Lamichhane joined the coalition government under Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and became Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
In January 2023, his rise hit a setback when a court challenged his citizenship.
The Supreme Court said he had not properly regained Nepalese citizenship after giving up his US citizenship. They cancelled his election and removed him from office. Lamichhane quickly fixed the paperwork, ran again in the April 2023 by-election, and won with an even bigger margin.
Legal Battles And Controversies
Lamichhane's political journey has been punctuated by multiple legal challenges:
- In 2019, he was arrested over allegations of abetment in journalist Shalikram Pudasaini's suicide, but was later acquitted.
- In 2023, the death of his driver was ruled accidental by the police after falling from a building.
- He faced past accusations of holding dual passports but was not prosecuted.
- As Home Minister, he approved a controversial National ID system contract, violating procurement laws.
Lamichhane has been implicated in a major cooperative fraud scandal involving several savings and credit cooperatives.
Authorities allege that large sums were improperly diverted to businesses associated with him. This included the Gorkha Media Network, where he served as managing director. Cases such as the Swarnalaxmi Cooperative accused him and his associates of fraud and organised crime, involving hundreds of millions of Nepalese rupees.
He was arrested in April 2025 after a high court revived the fraud charges and stayed in custody while awaiting trial.
The Supreme Court supported his detention, citing risks of evidence tampering. Lamichhane was freed only after youth-led protests entered the prison.
His foundation and media ventures have also faced scrutiny for alleged misuse of funds. Lamichhane denies wrongdoing, but investigators say his financial decisions played a role in the irregularities.
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