Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Mahantha Thakur has gathered House of Representatives (HoR) members of his faction at a resort in Bhaktapur as the deadline given by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to form majority government expires at nine Thursday night.
A lawmaker confirmed with Setopati that 14 lawmakers are together at the resort. "Fourteen of us have gathered until now. I have heard that four-five more are arriving," the lawmaker stated. "We were to gather at Babar Mahal. But then we came here to dine and discuss."
The lawmaker said he cannot say about the resort as he is not much familiar with Bhaktapur.
JSP is currently divided on whether to form a government excluding UML or not. JSP leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Upendra Yadav, coming from erstwhile Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, publicly demanded toppling of Oli government and want to form a majority government with NC and Maoist Center while leaders from the erstwhile Rashtriya Janata Party like Thakur and Rajendra Mahato were negotiating with Oli and are unwilling to join the alliance with NC and Maoist Center.
Thakur and Mahato on Wednesday met President Bidya Devi Bhandari and reportedly urged her to reject the proposal if another Chairman Upendra Yadav sends a letter to form majority government. They pointed that Yadav is the second-ranked chairman and the Election Commission also recognizes Thakur's signature.
