NC and UML leaders in a meeting with JSP Nepal leaders on Monday evening. Photo: RSS
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML have begun efforts to make peace with the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, which is preparing to withdraw its support from the government, citing continued neglect despite being part of the ruling coalition.
JSP Nepal Chairperson Upendra Yadav has long expressed frustration that the party’s expectations and earlier commitments made during the formation of the coalition a year ago have not been fulfilled. Though the party had decided to pull support, it has put the decision on hold following requests from the coalition partners.
“Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had been reaching out for talks with us over the past few days, but we insisted on a joint meeting with both NC and UML,” JSP Nepal Vice Chairperson Raj Kishor Yadav told Himal Press. “We made it clear that we would only attend a meeting that included both parties to address past commitments.”
UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a joint meeting with JSP leaders on Sunday evening. In the meeting, the two leaders urged JSP Chairperson Yadav not to quit the coalition.
In response, Chairperson Yadav urged the two leaders to fulfil past commitments, take governance reforms and the constitutional amendment process forward, and ensure collective decision-making in coalition matters.
Chairperson Yadav complained that the ruling partners had excluded JSP Nepal from key policy decisions, including the formulation of the national budget and the introduction of crucial bills. “There was no consultation with us even in the Madhesh Province Government,” Raj Kishor said, quoting his chairperson.
He added that the NC and UML seem to have finally realized JSP Nepal’s importance. “It’s not just about power, we are ahead in terms of agenda,” he said. “You cannot run a government while sidelining the entire representation of Madhesh.”
If JSP Nepal withdraws its support, the ruling alliance will lose a majority in the National Assembly. The ruling coalition currently commands 31 votes in the 59-member upper house. If JSP Nepal pulls its support, the alliance will have 28 votes—two short of a majority.
To retain JSP’s support, NC and UML also offered cabinet positions and proposed forming alliances at both provincial and central levels.
However, JSP Nepal insisted that the agenda, not ministerial posts, should be the priority.
“We told them that, let alone constitutional amendment, not even legislative bills are being discussed with us,” Raj Kishor added.
Dissent over Land Bill
JSP Nepal is deeply dissatisfied with the controversial Land Bill, which, the party claims, discriminates against the Madhesi community by labeling them as squatters.
While UML is pushing the Bill forward, leaders say NC is for holding the Bill for now.
“The government must be ready to withdraw this Bill, which is not only controversial but damaging to Madhesi people,” a JSP leader said. He also accused the ruling coalition of sidelining and undermining the party by handing over leadership of the Madhesh Province Government tothe Janamat Party.
“They handed the provincial government over to our competitors. This is unacceptable,” the leader said. “Regardless of power-sharing, we stand firm on the agenda of Madhesh. But NC and UML do not understand this.”
