Madhesh-based parties express dissatisfaction with Congress-led provincial government

Kathmandu. Madhesh-based parties have begun expressing dissatisfaction with the Madhesh provincial government. The Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal and the Janamat Party, both coalition partners, have voiced concerns that the Congress-led government is failing to make progress.

Janamat Party General Secretary Chandan Singh stated, ‘Currently, there is a Congress-led government in Madhesh Province. The government is unable to perform, yet the Madhesh-based parties are the ones facing the criticism.’

With Baisakh already underway, the provincial government has not even spent 10 percent of its annual budget. ‘How much work can the government realistically do in the remaining one and a half to two months?’ Singh asked. ‘If the government does not accelerate its pace by including coalition partners, we will have to reconsider our support for it.’

The Janamat Party secretariat recently reviewed the government's performance and concluded it was unsatisfactory. ‘What is the point of a government if it cannot even spend its annual budget?’ Singh added.

He emphasized that if the Chief Minister fails to deliver, the blame will fall on the supporting parties, urging the Chief Minister to improve his working style and performance.

The Janamat Party holds two ministries in the Madhesh government, including the Ministry of Finance.

JSP Nepal provincial assembly member Saroj Yadav also noted that the government is not working at the required pace. He mentioned that the government has failed to implement its policies and budget effectively, attributing the lack of progress to non-cooperation from bureaucrats rather than just the Chief Minister.

He claimed the Chief Minister himself had informed him that the government was struggling due to the provincial secretaries.

As the end of the fiscal year approaches, assembly member Yadav argued that the bureaucrats are more to blame than the Chief Minister or ministers for the lack of progress, urging the Chief Minister to take a more proactive role.

The government is led by Krishna Yadav, who is also the Congress Madhesh provincial president. The Congress-led government is supported by JSP Nepal, Janamat Party, Lokatantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) Nepal, CPN (Maoist Centre), and CPN (Unified Socialist). JSP Nepal and LSP Nepal have merged into JSP Nepal, while the Maoist Centre and CPN (Unified Socialist) have merged into the Nepali Communist Party.

Following the Janji movement, after Chief Minister Satish Singh of the Janamat Party resigned, Jitendra Sonal of the then LSP Nepal became Chief Minister. He later resigned after losing the support of the parties that had initially backed him.

Madhesh-based parties launched protests over delays in forming a new government, with support from Congress, the then Maoist Centre, and CPN (Unified Socialist). During the protests, the then provincial head administered the oath of office to UML leader Saroj Yadav as Chief Minister at 4:00 AM in a cottage in Mahottari.

This led to further controversy and a legal battle reaching the Supreme Court, which eventually ruled the formation of the Saroj Yadav-led government unconstitutional. Although Madhesh-based parties wanted to lead the government, Congress did not agree.

The Madhesh-based parties were eventually compelled to form a government under Congress leadership on Mangsir 19. More than six months since its formation, these parties have begun expressing dissatisfaction, citing a lack of momentum in the government's performance.