Rabi Lamichhane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Honourable Rabi Lamichhane MP
रबि लामिछाने
Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal
In office 26 December 2022 – 27 January 2023 Serving with Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Rajendra Prasad Lingden
President	Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister	Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded by	Raghubir Mahaseth Rajendra Mahato
Succeeded by	Purna Bahadur Khadka
Minister for Home Affairs
In office 26 December 2022 – 27 January 2023
President	Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister	Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded by	Bal Krishna Khand
Succeeded by	Narayan Kaji Shrestha
Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 January 2023
Preceded by	Dol Prasad Aryal (acting)
In office 1 July 2022 – 27 January 2023
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Dol Prasad Aryal (acting)
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 April 2023
Preceded by	Himself
Constituency	Chitwan 2
In office 22 December 2022 – 27 January 2023
Preceded by	Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel
Succeeded by	Himself
Constituency	Chitwan 2
Personal details
Born	(1975-06-11) 11 June 1975 (age 48) Nagarkot, Kathmandu, Nepal
Citizenship	Nepali (until 2007; 2023-present) American (2007–2017) Stateless (2018–2022)
Political party	Rastriya Swatantra Party
Spouses	Isha Lamichhane ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2019)​ Nikita Poudel ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	2
Parent	Lal Chandra Lamichhane (father)
Profession	Journalist Politician

Rabi Lamichhane (Nepali: रबि लामिछाने; born 11 June 1975) is a Nepali politician and former journalist. He is a member of the House of Representatives from Chitwan 2 since 28 April 2023, having previously represented the constituency from December 2022 to January 2023. He also previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs between December 2022 to January 2023.

Prior to entering politics, Lamichhane was a well-known television journalist/presenter. He gained popularity for his investigative journalism and social activism, particularly his coverage of social and political issues affecting marginalized communities in Nepal.

Broadcast career

Lamichhane rose to fame as the host of a television show on the News24 aimed at setting the world record for the longest marathon hosting of a television show in April 2013. He selected the 'Buddha was born in Nepal' theme in order to "help promote Nepal globally". The previous record was set by two Ukrainian presenters who stayed on the air for 52 hours in 2011. He interviewed politicians, journalists, and celebrities, and took phone calls from viewers. While he set the Guinness world record at over 62 hours in April 2013, the record has since been broken by Alexandru Raducanu of Romania, who hosted an over 72-hour-long show.

Lamichhane went on to host the popular Sidha Kura Pradhanmantri Sanga (Straight Talk with the Prime minister) with prime minister KP Sharma Oli on the Nepal Television and News 24. Later he went on to host Sidha Kura Janata Sanga on News24. The show's format has Lamichhane providing an editorial monologue alongside reporting, primarily the kind of sting journalism pioneered by the Indian news magazine Tehelka. Lamichhane follows up on complaints from ordinary people, chiefly victims of fraud or corruption, and confronts the alleged perpetrators on camera. The show has been described as "unapologetically nationalist, at times simplistic in its coverage of complex issues," and creating "a cult of personality around its host". Lamichhane resigned from News24 in January 2021 and announced the launch of a new version of his show as Sidha Kura on Galaxy 4K TV.

Political career

On 16 June 2022, Lamichhane announced his resignation from Galaxy 4K TV in order to contest the 2022 general elections later in the year for a seat to the House of Representatives. He announced the formation of a new political party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party on 21 June 2022. He registered his candidacy from Chitwan 2. His car was vandalized while on the campaign trail in Chitwan on 13 November 2022.

Lamichhane was elected with a majority of 34,312 votes, defeating Nepali Congress' Umesh Shrestha, an incumbent minister of state, and CPN (UML)'s Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel, the incumbent member of the constituency. In the aftermath of the election, his party supported Pushpa Kamal Dahal's nomination for prime minister, and Lamichhane led the RSP in government as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs.

During his campaign for the 2022 general election, a complaint was filed calling for his candidacy to be scrapped. The complainant claimed that Lamichhane had not renounced his Nepali citizenship while being an American citizen and Nepali law does not allow dual citizenship. On 27 January 2022, the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that Lamichhane did not follow due process to re-obtain his Nepali citizenship after renouncing his American citizenship, and thus, was not a legal Nepali citizen. This verdict effectively stripped Lamichhane of his position as deputy prime minister and minister of home affairs.

Having re-acquired Nepali citizenship, he contested the by-election held for his seat of Chitwan 2 in April 2023, and was re-elected securing an even greater margin of votes than in the 2022 general election.

Electoral history

2023 by-election

2022 general election

Personal life

Lamichhane was married to Isha Lamichhane for 24 years until their divorce in 2019. They had been separated for 10 years prior to their divorce. He married the-then chair of the Nepal Film Development Board, Nikita Poudel, on 21 January 2019. Lamichhane has two daughters with his first wife.

See also

• Rastriya Swatantra Party