Kathmandu: Senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Balen Shah, is set to be sworn in today as Nepal’s 47th Prime Minister. Alongside him, members of the new Cabinet will also take the oath of office.
The party has finalized a preliminary 16-member Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, following high-level discussions among its leadership. The proposed team reflects the party’s emphasis on a compact, functionally distributed government structure.
Balen Shah will assume the role of Prime Minister while also holding the Defence portfolio. Economist Swarnim Wagle is slated to lead the Ministry of Finance, while Sudhan Gurung is expected to head the Ministry of Home Affairs. Shishir Khanal has been assigned Foreign Affairs, and Sobita Gautam will oversee Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Similarly, Sasmita Pokharel is proposed for the Education Ministry, and Sunil Lamsal for Physical Infrastructure and Transport. Pratibha Rawal is set to handle Federal Affairs along with Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation, while Sita Wadi will lead Women, Children, and Senior Citizens.
The proposed lineup also includes Amaresh Kumar Singh for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies; Biraj Bhakta Shrestha for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation; and Nisha Mehta for Health and Population. Ganesh Paudel is expected to take charge of Culture and Tourism, while Dr Bikram Timilsina will lead Communications and Information Technology.
Deepak Shah is designated for Labour, Employment, and Social Security, and Gita Chaudhary will oversee Agriculture and Livestock Development.
With the oath ceremony scheduled for Friday, this new Cabinet marks the beginning of RSP’s ambitious governance experiment, which will be closely watched as it seeks to deliver on its “100 decisions in 100 days” commitment.
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