Kathmandu, Dec. 29 -- In one of his visible actions after being elected Kathmandu mayor from the 2022 local polls, Balendra (Balen) Shah tried to remove illegal structures and settlements on the Bagmati riverbank at Thapathali.

Mayor Shah's attempt, however, led to tense confrontations between the city police and residents of the informal settlements. At the time, Mayor Shah openly accused the Home administration under then-home minister Balkrishna Khand of non-cooperation.

A few months later, in November 2022, there were federal and provincial elections. Sidelining established political parties, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which had positioned itself as a force for alternative politics, emerged as the fourth-largest party in th...