India, Dec. 29 -- Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, was on Sunday named the prime ministerial candidate as he and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) inked a pact to jointly contest the March 5 Nepal elections. The seven-point agreement, reached after overnight marathon negotiations, designates 35-year-old Balen as the parliamentary party leader and the prime ministerial face, while Rabi Lamichhane will continue as chairperson of the RSP, the fourth-largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR).

As per the agreement, Balen and his group will contest the elections on the RSP's election symbol 'Bell', allotted by the Election Commission. With Balen agreeing to merge his team with the RSP,...