Nepal’s Energy Minister resigns from post after mounting questions over political affiliation

With mounting questions over his political affiliation, Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising has resigned from his post.

Inducted in the “interim neutral government” in September last year after the Gen-Z protest, Mr. Ghising was the third most powerful Minister on board the interim Sushila Karki’s council of Ministers.

The former bureaucrat who led the Nepal Electricity Authority and ended the “loadshedding” in the Himalayan Nation is regarded as the “power man” of the cabinet. But, his political affiliation was questioned by the interim Prime Minister herself as he had been operating a political party from shadow.

Mr. Ghising, last December had signed a merger agreement with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and his party Ujyaalo Nepal Party, formed after the Gen-Z protest.

Mr. Ghising has been claiming that the agreement has not yet been formally implemented. He also gave a statement about the same while announcing his resignation from the ministerial post late on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) night.

“Although my name is mentioned. in the agreement reached between the Ujyaalo Nepal Party and the Rastriya Swatantra Party, that agreement has not been formally implemented so far,” Mr. Ghising said during a press conference held at the Ministry of Energy late on Wednesday.

Mr. Ghising, who had been leading the Ujyaalo Nepal Party as its patron for some time, entered a unification agreement with the RSP on December 29. Following the merger, he has become the top-ranked vice-president of the RSP.

The RSP has included 14 individuals from his party in its list of proportional representation candidates.

Pressure had been mounting on Mr. Ghising to leave the government after becoming RSP vice-president. Noting that his presence in a non-partisan government was sending the message that the government belonged to one party, PM Karki had also requested him to step down.

However, Mr. Ghising said during an event on January 6 that he was not a member of any party.

His statement denying membership of any party–despite having already signed an agreement to become RSP vice-president- drew criticism.

However, during Wednesday’s press conference as well, Mr. Ghising reiterated that he is not a member of any party.

“Despite my support and goodwill, I have not yet taken membership of any political party. It is my clear stance that I will take party membership only after formally entering political life,” he stated.

In the wake of the Gen Z movement in September, President Ramchandra Paudel formed the interim government under the leadership of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as a neutral government with the major mandate of holding elections for the House of Representatives on March 5.Ghising has now quit the Cabinet after serving as a minister for 115 days.

Nepal PM asks 3 cabinet Ministers to resign

Ms. Karki on Tuesday (January 6, 2026) ordered three cabinet ministers with political affiliations to resign from their posts, stating that those intending to contest the upcoming March elections cannot remain part of the interim government.

According to a sitting Minister in Mr. Karki’s cabinet, the interim Prime Minister directed the three Ministers to step down, citing their active involvement with political parties. As per the Minister, Ms. Karki asked Kulman Ghising, Bablu Gupta, and Jagdish Kharel to resign from their respective ministerial portfolios.

“The Prime Minister said they have done a good job within the government to create an environment for timely elections and suggested that they may now step aside if they intend to contest the polls and focus on party work,” the Minister added.

Minister Gupta has also been seen attending RSP meetings and events alongside Mr. Ghising. At the same time, Communication Minister Kharel is expected to contest the March elections as a candidate of the Nepali Congress.