KATHMANDU: As the Janamat Party, led by CK Raut, and the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) with Resham Chaudhary as the patron, prepare to announce their merger, NUP Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha Chaudhary Shrestha has expressed dissatisfaction with the merger process.
A meeting of leaders from both parties held in Bardiya last week finalized the party unification. According to leaders, the task force meeting, attended by Janamat Chairperson Raut and NUP Patron Chaudhary, decided on key issues such as leadership hierarchy, election symbol and the party flag. The meeting also agreed to resolve the remaining problems soon and announce the merger by April 28. As per the agreement, the unified party will have Chaudhary as patron, Raut as chairperson and Shrestha as co-chairperson. Raut will hold the chairmanship with executive powers, ranking second in the hierarchy, while patron Chaudhary will be first, and Shrestha, as co-chairperson, will be third.
However, NUP Chairperson Shrestha is dissatisfied with being made co-chairperson and placed third in the hierarchy. She has demanded a dual-chairperson system in the unified party, with equal ranking to Raut. Due to her dissatisfaction over the hierarchy, the task force has reportedly been unable to finalize the unified party’s office bearers.
Although leaders from both parties claim that all issues have been resolved, Shrestha’s statement that a conclusion is yet to be reached indicates her discontent over the hierarchy. “The task force meeting has taken place, but we are yet to reach a conclusion. Discussions on hierarchy are ongoing,” she told Himal Press.
Shrestha is insisting on having two chairpersons in the unified party. “I wasn’t informed about being placed third in the hierarchy. No one has shared any details with me on this,” she said. “My stance is that there should be two chairpersons. This disagreement led to the postponement of the task force meeting. The next meeting will resolve the issue.”
A few days ago, Shrestha had stated she was unaware of the merger talks and added that the process cannot move forward without the chairperson’s consent. “It would be good to work together; there is no reason to be dissatisfied about that,” she said. “But if the party chairperson is dissatisfied, there can be no merger. I am not dissatisfied with the idea of party unification, though.”
Another reason for Shrestha’s dissatisfaction is the legal complications surrounding the NUP patron. Chaudhary, who was convicted in the Tikapur massacre case and sentenced to life imprisonment, was granted a pardon by the President on the recommendation of the Cabinet. He is legally barred from directly participating in politics or contesting elections. Additionally, Shrestha is concerned about whether the Election Commission will recognize Chaudhary as the unified party’s patron. This is why she is trying to get a higher hierarchy in the merged party.
Janamat Vice-chairperson Abdul Khan claimed that while Shrestha is not dissatisfied with the hierarchy, she has expressed concerns about legal procedures. “It is not true that she is dissatisfied. She has raised concerns, which is natural,” Khan said. “Her worry is whether Chaudhary will be legally recognized in the future. We consider this concern natural.”
Khan added that even if the law does not recognize Chaudhary, the party’s statute will still designate him as the patron and top-ranked leader. “Legal recognition is a later issue. Even if the law doesn’t recognize him, we have assured Shrestha that, as per the party statute, Chaudhary will remain the patron and first in hierarchy,” Khan explained.
He also claimed that the merger, leadership distribution and hierarchy were finalized after holding discussions with Shrestha, including two one-on-one meetings between Raut and Shrestha. Khan added that the merger will be announced between April 28 and May 3.
Both parties have already finalized the unified party’s name, election symbol and flag, and are now working on drafting the statute. They aim to complete the task within a week. “Organizational adjustments are pending, and the statute is being prepared,” Khan said. “Both sides have formed a joint statute drafting committee. It has been give a week to complete its task. Once the statute is ready, it will be presented to the central committee for approval and implementation.”
The parties are also preparing to form a central committee for the unified party, which could have 400 to 700 members, with equal representation from both sides.
Both party emerged as important political forces in the 2022 general election, with Janamat gaining a strong foothold in eastern Madhesh and NUP in western Madhesh. Analysts believe their merger could position them as a strong alternative force across Madhesh, challenging established Madhesh-centric parties. Additionally, it will be a strong force in parliament with nine lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Janamat Party received national party recognition in the 2022 election and has six lawmakers in federal parliament, while NUP failed to cross the required threshold for national party recognition and has three directly-elected lawmakers.
The unified party, which will be named Nagarik-Janamat Party, will have nine lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
