Kathmandu, Jan. 23 -- A photograph of a luxury vehicle used by Rastriya Swatantra Party senior leader Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, a candidate from Jhapa-5, has gone viral on social media since Thursday evening.

The image shows Shah travelling in a black Land Rover Defender worth more than Rs40 million, triggering debate over the vehicle's ownership. Shah has been using the same vehicle for several days and was also seen travelling in it when he went to Janakpur for an election campaign programme last Sunday.

According to sources at the Department of Transport Management, the vehicle is registered in the name of Trimurti Industries Pvt Ltd company based in ward 15 of Tilottama Municipality, Rupandehi. One of the company's inves...