KATHMANDU: Had Resham Chaudhary not been unexpectedly arrested at the Rastriya Sabha Griha on April 30, the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) and Janamat Party would have already merged. Just minutes before a planned unity announcement, NUP’s Patron was taken into custody at the event venue. Although he was released a few hours later, the incident derailed the party unification process.
The two parties have not held talks since then. There is now minimal communication between the party leaders. They say that party unification is no longer on the horizon. While both sides still claim politics is a “game of possibilities,” they no longer show interest in reviving the merger.
Relations between NUP Patron Chaudhary and Janamat Chairperson CK Raut have cooled in recent months. Nagari Unmukti’s decision not to support NUP’s candidate in the upcoming by-election in Rupandehi-3 has further widened the rift.
Due to tensions between Chaudhary and Raut, the two parties are also facing difficulty in the Federal Democratic Front. Some NUP leaders suspect Raut was involved in Chaudhary’s arrest. Their suspicions grew as Raut had posted warnings on social media about conspiracies to stop the merger and threats to his life just before the arrest.
Chaudhary insists NUP will field a common candidate in Rupandehi-3 with the support of six out of the seven parties of the Front. “Six parties in the Front have agreed to support our candidate in the by-election,” he told Himal Press. “Every party has the right to contest elections. If Janamat is not willing to support our candidate, we will go ahead with the rest of the alliance.”
Commenting on the planned unification of the two parties, Chaudhary said the process is currently on hold. “They are not our enemies. If the need arises, talks may resume. Politics is always about possibilities,” he added.
The Federal Democratic Front includes seven Madhes-based parties, including NUP and Janamat. In the 2022 election, Rastriya Prajatantra Party won the election in Rupandehi-3, while Nepali Congress came second, Rastriya Swatantra Party third and NUP fourth. NUP also received the highest proportional votes among the Front members.
Citing his party’s electoral performance in 2022, Resham proposed during a meeting of the Front that NUP should field the common candidate. Janamat Vice-chairperson Abdul Khan agreed that if a consensus had been reached, they should finalize the decision that day. But leaders decided to meet again on June 29.
On June 29, however, Janamat rejected the proposal to field a common candidate in the by-election. Janamat’s Abdul Khan and Sharad Singh Yadav, who attended the meeting, said the party would field its own candidate in Rupandehi-3.
This disagreement has not only widened the Resham-CK divide but has also thrown the future of the Front into uncertainty.
“We did not form the Front to win elections or make someone a leader,” Khan said. “Janamat will contest the by-election on its own.”
He downplayed the impact of the disagreement on the broader alliance but admitted that problems remain regarding a potential merger with NUP. “The Front’s main goal is to push for constitutional amendments, not election alliances,” he said. “But yes, unity with NUP is not possible right now.”
Khan blamed NUP for the stalled unification process. He pointed to internal differences within NUP, especially between Chaudhary and party Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha, as the main reason that has stalled the talks. “Chaudhary also has a court hearing before mid-July. I don’t think talks will resume before that.”
Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal General Secretary Ram Kumar Sharma, another leader in the Front, said the dispute between NUP and Janamat is damaging public trust. Still, he believes efforts are ongoing to finalize a joint candidate for Rupandehi. “It would send a strong message and pressure from older parties,” he said. “Talks are still underway to build consensus.”
