Kathmandu, Oct 25: As the Madhesh Province celebrates Chhath, political maneuvering is underway behind the scenes. Chief Minister Jitendra Prasad Sonar (Sonal) is preparing to seek a vote of confidence soon after the festival, and political parties remain active in talks even during the holidays.

Congress lawmaker Anjana Pandit said it is natural for parties to engage in dialogue as the chief minister prepares for the confidence vote. “He must seek the vote within 30 days of appointment, so ongoing discussions among parties are expected,” she said. Sonal was appointed on October 15 and must secure majority support within 30 days as per the constitution.

Madhesh Province has 10 political parties. Sonal currently enjoys backing from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, Janamat Party, CPN (Maoist Centre), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) Nepal, and CPN (Unified Socialist). The Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, along with three smaller parties—Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, and Nepal Federal Socialist Party—have withheld support.

Both ruling and opposition alliances are holding talks with small parties. The ruling side aims to strengthen its numbers, while the opposition seeks to block Sonal’s confidence vote. “Nothing official has been decided yet, but discussions are ongoing,” Pandit said.

Sonal’s coalition holds 57 seats: 19 from JSP Nepal, 13 from Janamat Party, 9 each from the Maoist Centre and LSP, and 7 from the Unified Socialist. A majority requires 54 out of 107 members.

However, Janamat Party’s Satish Kumar Singh and Tribhuvan Sah have identified themselves with the breakaway Janaswaraj Party, though the Supreme Court has suspended the Election Commission’s decision recognizing the split until a hearing on November 2. This means both lawmakers remain under the Janamat Party whip for now.

One JSP Nepal lawmaker, Saroj Singh Kushwaha, is suspended and cannot vote. If the two Janamat defectors abstain, Sonal’s support would drop to 54, and any further absence could cost him the majority.

Amid uncertainty, Sonal is personally reaching out to smaller parties for support. “There will be no problem securing the confidence vote.”

JSP Nepal spokesperson Manish Suman said his party, which played a key role in forming the government, will also take the lead in ensuring Sonal wins the vote. “We helped build this government, and it’s our duty to help it succeed,” he said.

People’s News Monitoring Service