Janakpur — The political equation in Madhesh Province has once again shifted dramatically. The Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and the Janamat Party have jointly staked a claim to form a new provincial government.
According to a submission made to the Office of the Province Chief, the alliance claims the backing of 58 provincial assembly members — including 23 from UML, 22 from Congress, and 13 from the Janamat Party.
Earlier, another coalition led by Jitendra Prasad Sonal of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) had also submitted its claim to form the government. That alliance included the JSP-Nepal, CPN (Maoist Centre), LSP-Nepal, CPN (Unified Socialist), and the Janamat Party, with the support of 57 members in total.
Confusion Over Janamat’s Support Creates Political Deadlock
Confusion has arisen as both alliances have listed the Janamat Party among their supporters. The Congress–UML bloc based its claim on a previously signed letter of support from Janamat.
However, Mahesh Yadav, leader of the Janamat parliamentary party, dismissed that document as outdated and invalid.
“It’s an old letter, not official,” he said, adding, “We have already informed the Province Chief’s Office about this.”
The Janamat Party’s clarification has cast doubt over the validity of the Congress–UML alliance’s claim. The Office of the Province Chief has acknowledged receiving two separate claims for government formation and is now consulting legal experts.
“We have received both claims within the deadline,” said Acting Secretary Shatrudhan Yadav. “We are reviewing which claim holds legal ground and studying how similar situations were handled in other provinces,” he added.
Legal Uncertainty and Janamat’s Decisive Role
In the 107-member provincial assembly, a majority of 54 seats is required to form a government. The Janamat Party’s 13 seats continue to hold the balance of power in Madhesh politics.
In the previous government, Janamat not only participated but also held the chief minister’s post and two ministerial portfolios. However, it has now withdrawn support and aligned itself with a new coalition.
Constitutional lawyer Dipendra Jha, Madhesh’s first Advocate General, said the party must formally withdraw its earlier letter of support before issuing a new one for legal validity.
“The earlier agreement must be officially revoked before a new coalition can be recognized,” Jha noted.
Meanwhile, Congress parliamentary leader Krishna Prasad Yadav has been proposed as the new chief ministerial candidate of the Congress–UML alliance. But with the Janamat Party yet to make its final move, the future of the Madhesh government remains uncertain.
