Kathmandu, Oct 7 – Janamat Party has decided to stay out of the upcoming Madhesh provincial government formation. By withdrawing support from its own government, the party has signaled it will not participate in any new power arrangements in the province.

“Janamat is no longer part of the government game. Whatever government forms in Madhesh, we will not join. Our focus is now on the upcoming parliamentary elections,” party leader Mahanta Raut said.

The party has faced internal splits recently, with some senior leaders forming separate groups. Deputy Chair Dipak Sah and Treasurer Surendra Narayan Yadav have established a new party, while other senior figures like Abdul Khan and spokesperson Dr. Sharad Singh Yadav have left Janamat. According to party sources, sitting in opposition now is seen as a strategy to benefit in the forthcoming elections.

Janamat’s exit leaves Madhesh’s current power balance precarious. The provincial assembly has 107 seats shared among ten parties. UML holds 25 seats (though only 23 can vote, as Speaker Ramchandra Mandal and suspended lawmaker Dipendra Thakur are excluded), Congress 22, Janta Samajwadi Party (JSPN) 19, Janamat 13, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) 9, Maoist Centre 9, Unified Socialist 7, and smaller parties 1 seat each.

With Janamat out, only UML, Congress, and LSP remain in the coalition, but together they hold 53 votes, one short of the 54 needed to form a government. Congress’s parliamentary leader Krishna Prasad Yadav is pushing to lead the government, while LSP has multiple candidates for chief minister, including Upendra Mahato, Jitendra Sonal, and Jaynul Raines. LSP Chairman Mahanta Thakur has claimed decision-making authority within the party.

JSPN President Upendra Yadav emphasized that Madhesh should remain under the federal democratic front due to ongoing attacks on federalism, showing willingness to collaborate with LOSPA if needed. Thakur, however, insists LOSPA should receive leadership and recalled a prior agreement during Bara by-elections to give LOSPA control in Madhesh, which he claims was not honored.

Janamat’s withdrawal leaves UML or Congress needing support from either JSPN or LOSPA to form a government. If no arrangement is reached, the constitution under Article 168(2) allows government formation to fail, potentially appointing UML’s largest party leader Saroj Kumar Yadav as chief minister temporarily, pending a vote of confidence. Failing that, the governor could dissolve the assembly and call new elections.

The situation remains fluid, with parties still negotiating to avoid a political vacuum.

People’s News Monitoring Service