When Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal led by Upendra Yadav was splitting In April 2024, Ashok Rai had seven out of 12 federal lawmakers with him. On the strength of those seven lawmakers, he formed the JSP and became its chairman. However, as the party nears its second year, five out of those seven lawmakers who supported Rai have already left him.
Those who have left Rai's side include Nawal Kishore Sah, Ranju Thakur, Hasina Khan, Birendra Mahato, and Pradeep Yadav. Now, only Rai himself and his wife and member of the dissolved House of Representatives Sushila Shrestha remain.
Among those who supported him during the party split, Nawal Kishore Sah has joined the Rastriya Swabhiman Party. Sah, who won the 2022 election from JSP Nepal, was the vice-chairman of the Rai-led JSP. Pradeep Yadav, who won the election from Parsa-1, was the party's deputy general secretary. He returned to the Upendra Yadav-led JSP Nepal and has since joined the UML. This time, he is contesting from UML. Birendra Mahato, who won from Siraha-4, was the treasurer of the Rai-led JSP. He is contesting the upcoming election from Siraha-4 on a CK Raut-led Janamat Party.
Ranju Thakur, who became a lawmaker through the proportional representation (PR) system, is currently not affiliated with any party. Thakur told Setopati that she is preparing to file her candidacy from Saptari-2. "Talks are ongoing with some parties. I am going to be a candidate. If things don't work out with a party, I will run as an independent," she said. "There was no attraction toward the Rai-led party in the district. Rather than blaming anyone, I simply left."
Similarly, Hasina Khan, who became a PR lawmaker, is on the proportional list again this time. However, she has practically left the JSP and is not active in the party. A leader who left the JSP told Setopati that even if her candidacy remains, it will be meaningless.
It is not just outgoing lawmakers who are leaving Rai. Office-bearers who provided major support during the party split have also abandoned him. The first to leave him was federal council chairman Rajendra Shrestha. Shrestha had supported Rai when he left UML in 2013. However, Shrestha has now joined the Nepali Communist Party. Co-chair Renu Yadav has also left Rai's party and returned to the Upendra Yadav-led JSP.
Another influential leader who strongly supported Rai is Mohammad Istiyak Rai. He was the general secretary of JSP. Rai, who won the 2008 and 2017 elections from Banke-2, is set to contest the election this time using the election symbol of UML.
JSP Chairman Ashok Rai said he takes this naturally. "This keeps happening during election time. Lately, elections have started becoming bigger than ideology. This problem is not just in our party. It's everywhere," he said. "Incoming and outgoing continue in a party. We are preparing for the election. We will make youths candidates for the election."
He stated that since he had already said during the 2022 election that he would not be a candidate again, he will only involve himself in party work. Rai had won the 2022 election from Sunsari-1 with support of UML.
The Rai-led JSP, the Rajendra Mahato-led Rastriya Mukti Party, and the Resham Chaudhary-led Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) have already decided to field candidates under a single election symbol. All three parties have submitted their PR closed lists under the NUP's symbol 'grinding stone'.
