An agreement has been reached to form a government under the leadership of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) in Madhesh province after political forces other than the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML came together.
Leaders from the participating parties said that the alliance was formed to keep the NC and UML out in the changed political context following the Gen Z movement.
The LSP, the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal (JSP Nepal), the Janamat Party, the CPN (Maoist Center), and the CPN (Unified Socialist) have agreed to make LSP's Jitendra Sonal the chief minister.
The Madhesh Provincial Assembly has 107 members, with 54 lawmakers required to form a government. The new alliance has 57 lawmakers – 19 from JSP Nepal, 13 from Janamat, 9 each from Maoist Center and LSP, and 7 from Unified Socialist.
The UML has 25 lawmakers in the provincial assembly. With Ram Chandra Mandal becoming the speaker and one member suspended, it effectively has 23 votes. Similarly, the NC has 22 votes, while the Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and Federal Socialist Party have 1 seat each.
LSP General Secretary Surendra Jha explained that since the government during the Gen Z movement was led by the NC and UML, they have made efforts to form a government excluding those parties.
“Initially, the Janamat Party was ready for an agreement involving the Congress and UML. However, after continuous discussions by us second-tier leaders, the current alliance was formed,” he told Setopati. “Initially, we and the JSP were ready, believing that the forces for change should unite in the current situtation. After that, the environment for this alliance was created.'
Leaders including JSP Nepal spokesperson Manish Suman, Mahesh Yadav from the Janamat Party, Bharat Sah from the Maoist Center, and Shatrudhan Mahato from the Unified Socialist were actively involved in efforts to form the alliance. Keshav Jha from the Rastriya Mukti Party was also involved in building consensus.
LSP General Secretary Jha said that they had learned a lesson from the losses they suffered for previously supporting the UML, which in turn became a major party in Madhesh.
He also mentioned that Mahanta Thakur and Upendra Yadav’s support to KP Oli at different times also brought them disrepute.
Although all parties were ready for the alliance, initially, the Janamat Party was not. According to a source, the Janamat Party came on board after a situation of potential split arose. More than half of Janamat's 13 provincial assembly members have already signed.
Bharat Sah, leader of the Maoist Center's parliamentary party in Madhesh, said that the forces other than the NC and UML came together because the Gen Z movement did not want those two parties.
He said that they agreed to support LSP leader Jitendra Sonal as chief minister since it is necessary for the forces in favor of federalism and change to remain united.
Sah said that all parties agreed that the NC and UML should not be allowed into power, to also honor the spirit of the Gen Z movement as well as its martyrs and the injured.
