Efforts are underway in Madhesh Province to form a new government, excluding Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (UML), following the resignation of Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh from Janamat Party on Tuesday.
Discussions for a new coalition are ongoing among parties led by Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal (JSP-) led by Upendra Yadav, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), among others.
"Discussions have been on since yesterday. Let's see what happens," Maoist Centre lawmaker Jawaharlal Kushwaha told Nepalkhabar. "We expect to finalize our calculations by this morning."
The rival parties began efforts for a new alliance after NC and UML started preparations to form a government under the leadership of NC Parliamentary Party leader Krishna Prasad Yadav.
Following CM Singh's resignation on Tuesday, Province Chief Sumitra Subedi Bhandari has given parties until 4 pm deadline today to submit their claims for a new appointment.
In the 107-member Madhesh Provincial Assembly, 54 seats are required to form a government. JSP has 19 seats, Janamat 13, Maoist Centre and LSP have 9 each, and Unified Socialist has 7. (One LSP MP is suspended). If these five parties unite, they can achieve a majority.
NC and UML alone do not have a majority, holding 22 and 25 seats respectively. Nagarik Unmukti, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Sanghiya Samajbadi Party have 1 seat each.
However, UML MP Sharada Thapa claimed there would be no hurdle to forming an NC-UML coalition, arguing that the rival bloc would struggle to secure a majority. She said to Nepalkhabar, "Other parties won't achieve a majority to form a government. We believe Janamat will not join the other coalition. LSP also won't support JSP-N. Even if Janamat splits and joins the other side, they will face problems reaching a majority."
Outgoing CM Singh is reportedly displeased with Janamat Chairman CK Raut and the Madhesh Parliamentary Party leader Mahesh Prasad Yadav, believing their non-cooperation forced him to leave office. He is also accused of trying to divide Janamat MPs internally.
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