JANAKPURDHAM: Political activities have intensified in Madhesh Province following the Supreme Court’s mandamus order over the dispute surrounding the appointment of Chief Minister Saroj Yadav.
After the Supreme Court ordered Chief Minister Yadav to secure a vote of confidence within 24 hours, the ruling parties and the opposition parties are holding discussions to finalize their next moves.
Chief Minister Yadav is currently busy with legal consultations, while the seven-party opposition alliance is waiting for the 24-hour deadline to expire. Local leaders say confusion has arisen over the basis on which the Supreme Court’s 24-hour timeframe should be calculated.
It is understood that the 24-hour timeframe begins after the defendants receive the court’s order letter. The Madhesh Province Government has not received the letter yet.
However, the plaintiffs, the seven-party opposition alliance, are insisting that the 24-hour clock started ticking right after the Supreme Court issued the order.
Krishna Yadav, leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in the province assembly, said the Chief Minister’s position will automatically be annulled the moment the court-given deadline expires. “Accordingly, we will go to the Office of the Province Chief with our alliance partners and request him to initiate the government formation process,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Madhesh Province Assembly is holding its Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday afternoon to take necessary decisions regarding convening the provincial assembly session.
Although the Supreme Court has ordered the Chief Minister to seek a vote of confidence, the Secretariat says that the Chief Minister, Yadav, has not yet submitted a letter to the provincial assembly secretariat regarding the vote of confidence motion.
Given the political situation in Madhesh, Chief Minister Yadav is unlikely to pass the floor test, as all parties in the provincial assembly, except the ruling CPN-UML, are on the opposition bench.
