JSP signals exit from ruling coalition

KATHMANDU, Oct 2: The Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) has indicated that it will leave the ruling five-party coalition.A JSP executive committee meeting held on Saturday indicated that it will leave the alliance. The meeting said that the current discussion regarding seat distribution for the upcoming election is not satisfactory and has decided to coordinate with other parties as an alternative to the alliance, and if that is not possible, will contest the election alone.

JSP Spokesperson Manish Suman issued a statement after the meeting of the executive committee and said, "As the discussion regarding the seat distribution for the Province Assembly and House of Representatives elections scheduled for November in the five-party alliance in which our party also participates, the situation is not satisfactory. As an alternative, coordination with other political parties can also be done in the elections.” The statement further says, “In the event that this does not happen, JSP will decide to participate in the election alone.”

This decision of the executive committee has now opened the way for JSP to hold talks with other parties including CPN-UML for seat coordination. JSP leaders have said that talks with UML can now take place. "Now we talk to all the parties. All parties including the UML," said JSP executive committee member Bijay Yadav, "This means we are capable of contesting elections alone. Apart from the alliance, we are ready to coordinate with other parties.”

Another member of the JSP executive committee and Agriculture Minister Mrigendra Singh Yadav said that the decision of the executive committee was an ultimatum to the ruling coalition. He said that if the other parties of the alliance did not give seats as demanded by JSP, the party would go to the election alone. “This is also a kind of warning. We need at least 15 seats in Madhesh. If the other parties in the alliance are not ready to give 15 seats to JSP in Madhesh, we will contest the elections alone," he said.

Lately, JSP has been unhappy with other parties in the alliance. JSP Chairperson Upendra Yadav has publicly expressed his displeasure with the ongoing discussion on seat distribution. In an event organized in Madhesh on Friday, Chairperson Yadav expressed the view that JSP is ready to contest elections alone even without alliance.

Similarly, in the program held in Dhanusha on Thursday, he said, "If Madheshi and tribals are not addressed respectfully in seat distribution, we are capable of contesting the election alone." Other JSP leaders are also warning that they will contest the election alone in Madhesh if the alliance does not give them respectable number of seats.

According to sources, JSP leaders are stern in demanding at least 15 of the 32 seats in Madhesh. Leaders of other parties in the alliance are not ready to give 15 seats to JSP in Madhesh Province. According to the source, the alliance is preparing to allocate 12 seats to JSP.

Most of the members who spoke at the meeting of the JSP Executive Committee on Saturday suggested to the party leadership that they should leave the alliance if it does not agree to give them a respectable number of seats. According to sources, a member of the executive committee said in the meeting, "If we contest the elections alone, we will win 15/16 seats in Madhesh. Why do we need an alliance in this situation? JSP has asked for at least three seats in provinces other than Madhesh. "Other parties of the alliance are not positive about this either," said the source.

Lately, the central leaders of Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP), have been joining CPN-UML one by one. The leaders of the party claim that even though the central leaders have joined the UML, the lower level leaders are coming to JSP. For this reason, JSP leaders have analyzed that their party's position in the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections will be stronger than before.

A JSP leader said, "That's why we need at least 15 seats in Madhesh Province. There is no situation to go lower than that, but other leaders of the coalition are ignoring our strength in Madhesh.”

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