Factional Tensions Surface in Unified JSP-Nepal as Leaders Operate from Separate Offices

Kathmandu. The Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal led by Upendra Yadav and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) led by Mahantha Thakur have merged. Although the two parties merged and 'JSP Nepal' was retained, Mahantha Thakur's former LSP Nepal office in Babar Mahal has not yet been closed.

Currently, the offices of JSP Nepal are being operated from two locations. Mahantha Thakur, who is also the patron of the unified JSP Nepal, stays at his old office, while Chairman Upendra Yadav operates from the JSP Nepal office in Balkumari. Most leaders from Mahantha Thakur's faction are found at the party office in Babar Mahal.

A meeting of the unified party was held once before the election. Since then, no meeting has taken place, nor has the election been reviewed. The Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) led by Bhrishchandra Lal, which joined the JSP Nepal via LSP Nepal during the election period, has since separated from the party.

The Central Coordination Committee meeting called for Chaitra 15 was postponed after the party's patron Mahantha Thakur and Chairman Upendra Yadav failed to attend. Most members of the Central Coordination Committee had arrived at the party office for the meeting, but as the patron and chairman did not show up, the meeting was postponed after issuing a statement congratulating and extending best wishes to the government formed under the leadership of Rastriya Swatantra Party's senior leader Balen Shah.

A leader who attended the meeting on the 15th said, 'No one could contact Chairman Upendra Yadav, while Patron Mahantha Thakur informed us that he could not attend the meeting due to ill health.'

It has not been determined when the next meeting will be held. It was stated that the meeting was postponed because both the patron and the chairman did not attend.

However, Dr. Surendrakumar Jha, a member of the Central Coordination Committee, mentioned in a statement issued that the meeting was postponed due to insufficient preparation. The statement read, 'As additional time is required to successfully conclude the party's Central Coordination Committee meeting scheduled for Chaitra 15, we inform you that today's meeting is postponed until further notice.'

After the meeting was postponed, when JSP Nepal leaders Shailendra Shah, Umesh Yadav, and others reached the former LSP Nepal office, Patron Mahantha Thakur was present there. Leaders were surprised to see Mahantha Thakur, who could not attend the JSP Nepal meeting in Balkumari due to ill health, sitting at his old office. However, Thakur also stated there that he was unwell.

This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. After the merger between the then Socialist Party led by Upendra Yadav and the then Rastriya Janata Party (RJP) led by Mahantha Thakur in Baisakh 2077, forming JSP Nepal, a similar situation arose. Although the two parties merged, Mahantha Thakur did not vacate his old party office in Babar Mahal.

An office was also set up for him at the JSP Nepal office in Balkumari. However, he visited there only occasionally, mostly staying at his old party office. Gradually, discord began to grow between the two chairmen.

In less than a year, JSP Nepal split. Leaders including Mahantha Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, and Sharat Singh Bhandari left and formed LSP Nepal in Bhadra 2078. Subsequently, the party office where Mahantha Thakur resided was again operated as the LSP Nepal office.

In Poush 2082, before five years were complete, LSP Nepal and JSP Nepal merged again. A leader of JSP Nepal stated that relations do not appear cordial even after the merger between the two parties. JSP Nepal Patron Thakur was recently elected as a member of the National Assembly.

Uprendra Yadav, Chairman of JSP Nepal, provided significant support for this. Leaders close to Upendra Yadav say that he would not have been able to become a member of the National Assembly if Chairman Yadav had not supported him at that time, but Thakur's role in the House of Representatives election was not positive.

Contrary to the wishes of JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav, Patron Thakur fielded his daughter as a candidate. After fielding his daughter, he remained focused only on that constituency. Since he himself was not a candidate, he was expected to campaign in other areas, but there were complaints within the party that he did not venture outside his own constituency.

Meanwhile, Thakur, who claimed to be unwell, met with Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane today.