Nepal’s RSP Chief Rabi Lamichhane Meets PM Modi During India Visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Rabi Lamichhane , chairman of Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), in New Delhi, marking a key diplomatic engagement during the Nepali leader’s ongoing India visit, which was initiated at the invitation of BJP national president Nitin Nabin . The meeting comes a day after Lamichhane held extensive talks with Nabin at the BJP headquarters , where both sides described their interaction as “meaningful” and focused on strengthening party-to-party ties and democratic cooperation.

During his meeting with Lamichhane, PM Modi underlined that Nepal remains a priority partner for India under the Neighbourhood First policy . He said India looks forward to working closely with Nepal’s political leadership to further deepen the “special and multifaceted” relationship between the two countries and to advance shared goals of development and prosperity. The prime minister’s remarks were shared in a post on social media platform X , where he also expressed openness to closer collaboration with Nepal’s evolving political leadership.

Lamichhane’s India visit has been structured around engagements with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Nitin Nabin , and senior officials from the party’s foreign affairs team. At the BJP headquarters, the RSP delegation was welcomed under the Know BJP initiative , which aims to familiarise foreign political parties with the BJP’s organisational structure, ideological framework, governance model, and grassroots outreach system. Discussions during these interactions reportedly covered governance practices, democratic processes, candidate selection mechanisms , and the BJP’s booth-level organisational strength .

According to officials involved in the meetings, both sides also exchanged views on the growing role of youth, particularly Gen Z , in shaping political participation, public discourse, and future leadership in South Asia. The BJP leadership highlighted its development-centric governance approach under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on service delivery, welfare schemes, and direct public engagement through party workers at the grassroots level.

The visit also comes at a time of broader political shifts in Nepal, with emerging parties like the RSP gaining prominence and redefining the country’s political landscape. Observers see the engagement as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional links between political parties in India and Nepal, complementing longstanding diplomatic ties rooted in cultural, historical, and people-to-people connections.

Together, the meetings between RSP leaders , BJP chief Nitin Nabin , and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflect a coordinated push to deepen political dialogue, expand cooperation, and reinforce India–Nepal relations at both governmental and party levels, while also highlighting the increasing importance of newer political forces in regional diplomacy.