Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Mahantha Thakur has said there is a strong possibility of the party allying with Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli.
In a video interview with Setopati, Thakur clarified that the party is not in support of or against anybody and is merely focused on getting its demands fulfilled. "PM has taken steps to get our demands addressed. How many days that will take remains to be seen. There is a strong possibility of us going for alliance with PM if our demands are met," he stated. "I will come with you if you address my agenda. Oli has done that. What wrong has happened."
He pointed that only the government can address the party's demands. "Constitution amendment and citizenship bill are in the hands of government. Two-third majority (in the House) is needed for Constitution amendment. Our demands are in the process of getting addressed. Directives have been made for withdrawal of cases against us. Work is being done accordingly. We will send the list of cases to the Home Ministry. The government will start the process after that."
He argued that the issue of Constitution amendment and citizenship are not problems only for Madhes but the whole country.
He refuted reports that JSP has staked claims for PM claiming that it has been concocted by the media. "Thank you all for that. No party has proposed so until now. We have capacity to lead if such proposal arrives."
He revealed that Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Center) are also wooing JSP promising to address the party's demands. "We had supported them even in the past but the issues remain as they were. Agreements were reached many times but were not implemented."
JSP is currently divided on whether to support Oli or not. JSP leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Upendra Yadav, coming from erstwhile Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, have publicly demanded toppling of Oli government while leaders from the erstwhile Rastriya Janata Party like Thakur and Rajendra Mahato are negotiating with Oli.
Thakur claimed that his faction is not in undue haste to join the government and is merely trying to get the demands addressed. He reminded how Yadav had hurriedly joined the Oli government immediately after the last election but RJP did not join the ruling coalition.
"Upendra Yadav had hurriedly joined Oli government. Oli had also called us. But we pointed how we can join the government when our friends are in jail. The allegation that we are in haste to join the government is, therefore, wrong."
