Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The newly appointed Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, Jitendra Sonal, from the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) Nepal, appears to have fallen into a minority on the very day he took his oath of office.
Sonal, who was appointed Chief Minister on Wednesday under Article 168 (2) of the Constitution by Province Chief Sumitra Subedi Bhandari, had initially claimed the support of 56 provincial assembly members. However, that number has now fallen to 53, one short of the 54 seats required for a majority in the 107-member provincial assembly.
The decline in support came after two lawmakers from the Janamat Party defected to the newly formed Janaswaraj Party, and another lawmaker from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, Saroj Singh Kushwaha, was suspended after a corruption case was filed against him by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
The CIAA filed a case against Kushwaha, who is also a former provincial minister, at the Special Court on Thursday, accusing him of misusing funds from the Parliamentary Development Fund.
The CPN (Maoist Center), which has extended support to Sonal, has not sent the names of its ministers yet, given the developing political scenario in Madhesh. According to a Maoist Center lawmaker, the party has adopted a “wait and watch” approach amid uncertainty over the government’s stability.
The crisis began even before Sonal was sworn in. On Tuesday, Janamat Party lawmakers, outgoing Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh and Tribhuwan Sah, pledged their allegiance to the newly formed Janaswaraj Party. The two were allegedly attacked by some Janamat Party cadres while heading to the Provincial Election Office in Janakpurdham to formalize their move.
The Election Commission has given the Janamat Party’s provincial lawmakers seven days to verify their allegiance. After this, the office will issue an official decision on the status of the new Janaswaraj Party. Although only two members have so far declared for the new party, the number could increase, observers say.
Outgoing Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh said his party will remain neutral for now. “We will stay neutral for the time being and claim party recognition in the provincial assembly after the Election Commission validates our registration,” he told reporters while leaving the Office of the Chief Minister. “The party will then decide its position on the provincial government.”
A JSP Nepal lawmaker acknowledged that the government’s majority has weakened. “Although the claim was based on 56 members, we now have only 53,” the lawmaker said. “If this situation persists, it will be difficult to secure the vote of confidence.”
However, he expressed confidence that the two lawmakers, who joined the Jana Swaraj Party and a lawmaker from the Nagarik Unmukti Party would support the government during the trust vote. “Otherwise, the government will almost certainly face a crisis,” he added.
CPN-UML is the largest party in the 107-member Madhesh Province Assembly with 23 seats (including one suspended member and the Speaker). The Nepali Congress has 22, JSP Nepal has 19 (one suspended), Janamat Party has 13 (two have joined Jana Swaraj Party), LSP Nepal has nine (one suspended), Maoist Center has nine and CPN (Unified Socialist) has seven. Nagarik Unmukti, Sanghiya Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party have one member each.
