Nepal, Aug. 22 -- The ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has begun preparations for the upcoming local-level elections. However, as the party's Central Committee (CC) met at its Banasthali headquarters in Kathmandu to discuss election strategy, Prime Minister and RSP Senior Leader Balendra Shah (Balen) headed to Mustang via Pokhara.

Shah, who has made only occasional appearances at party meetings and the central office, left Kathmandu for Pokhara early Friday while the CC meeting was underway.

He spent Friday night at Annapurna Eco Village Resort in Astam, Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-6 of Kaski. The Prime Minister's full itinerary, however, has not been made public.

It remains unclear whether Shah skipped the meeting because he...