People's Socialist Party, Nepal (2020) Explained

People's Socialist Party, Nepal
Affiliation1 Title:Alliance
Affiliation1:Nepali Congress+
Ideology:Democratic socialism
Secularism
Regionalism
Headquarters:Balkumari, Lalitpur
Country:Nepal
Youth Wing:Socialist Youth Union, Nepal
Womens Wing:Socialist Women Union, Nepal
Native Name:जनता समाजवादी पार्टी, नेपाल
Abbreviation:PSP-N
Native Name Lang:ne
Flag:File:Flag of the Mazdoor Kisan Party.svg
Merger:RJPN
SPN
Chairperson:Upendra Yadav
Student Wing:Socialist Student Union, Nepal
Seats1 Title:ECN Status
Seats1:National Party
Seats2 Title:Seats in Pratinidhi Sabha
Seats3 Title:Seats in Rastriya Sabha
Seats4 Title:Seats in Provincial Assemblies
Seats5 Title:Chief Ministers
Seats6 Title:Mayors/Chairs
Seats7 Title:Councillors
Leader1 Title:Spokesperson
Leader1 Name:Manish Kumar Suman[1]

The People's Socialist Party, Nepal (abbr. PSP-N; Nepali: जनता समाजवादी पार्टी, नेपाल), also known as Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal is the eighth largest political party in Nepal.[2] Since the 2022 local election, the party has been limited to stand only as the third largest party of Madhesh Province after the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) respectively.[3]

Recently the party faced a major split when 7 of 12 pratinidhi sabha MPs formed a new party, People's Socialist Party under leadership of party's federal council chairman Ashok Rai. With 5 out of 275 seats in the lower house House of Representative and 3 out of 59 seats in the upper house National Assembly, the party is the eighth largest political party in the Federal Parliament.

Ideology

The party advocates for identity based federalism and a more inclusive parliament. They also support a more decentralized government structure which guarantee of more power to provincial and local governments. The party intends to implement the agreements of the Nepalese Civil War, Madheshi movement and various other movements.[4]

History

Formation of PSP-N

The Rastriya Janata Party Nepal and Samajbadi Party, Nepal were in constant negotiations throughout 2019 with talks failing or being in limbo because of issues relating to power sharing and Samajbadi Party, Nepal not withdrawing support from the K.P. Oli led government.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Samajbadi Party finally quit the government in late on 24 December 2019 after the Prime minister rejected the party's proposals on constitution amendments while demoting Yadav from the post of Health Minister.[9] The failure to quit the government despite repeated calls before had put a deadlock on the negotiations between the two parties.[10] Hopes of unification suffered a further blow when RJPN announced an electoral alliance with the ruling Nepal Communist Party for the 2020 National Assembly elections while the Samajbadi Party, Nepal announced electoral alliance with Nepali Congress.[11] Negotiations for unification still continued through early 2020 with issues relating to power sharing and leadership still becoming a major sticking point for both parties rather than ideology.[12] [13]

As per trusted sources and national media's, Renu Yadav wanted to split the party with seven other MPs which included Bimal Prasad Shrivastav, Surendra Kumar Yadav, Mohammad Estiyak Rai, Pradeep Yadav, Umashankar Argariya, Kalu Devi Bishwakarma and Renuka Gurung. Though the plan went unsuccess do to last moment merger of Samajbadi Party, Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal to form People's Socialist Party, Nepal it was highly covered by national medias.[14] [15]

The deadlock finally broke on 23 April 2020 after this incident and the two parties finally reached an agreement for a merger just two days after the government issued an ordinance that amended the Political Party Act which made it possible for a party to split if supported by 40% of either the party's central committee or its parliamentarians,[16] [17] The new party, People's Socialist Party, Nepal was officially registered with the Election Commission on 9 July 2020.[18]

It was formed by the merger of the two parties in Nepal, the Samajbadi Party, Nepal, led by Baburam Bhattarai and Upendra Yadav, and the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, led by the presidium of Mahantha Thakur and five others.[19]

Election year 2023

The party faces a major setback in the 2022 Nepalese local elections when it had to lose majority of places it contested. The party had to lose Hanumannagar Kankalini municipality and Balan Bihul rural municipality to newly formed Janamat Party led by CK Raut. Among these, son of provincial minister Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi lost as mayor in Hanumannagar Kankalini.[20]

Party's leader and chief minister Lalbabu Raut lost his own home town, Jagarnathpur Rural Municipality to Nepali Congress. Even his wife Jalekha Khatun lost as deputy chairperson candidate. Similarly, the party lost its security deposits in various local levels of Madhesh Province and all over Nepal which it had contested for not attaining even 10% vote. Party's candidate for mayor in Janakpur, Lal Kishor Sah could attain only fifth position and lost to Nepali Congress leader Manoj Kumar Sah. As a result, Nepali Congress stood as single largest party in Madhesh Province.[21] As a result, the party was limited to become only the third largest party of Madhesh province being able to win just 28 local levels in province compared to 45 which it had before elections.[22] This was seen as an effect of split in party forming Loktantrik Samajwadi Party and the rise of Janamat Party, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party in eastern terai while Janata Pragatisheel Party and Nagrik Unmukti Party in western terai of Nepal.[3]

The party had to bear a huge loss all over Nepal. Party's Chairman Upendra Yadav lost his seat Saptari 2 to CK Raut of Janamat Party. Similarly the party was limited to 6 of 32 seats in Madhesh Province. The party was even limited to third position after Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) respectively in Madhesh Provincial Assembly winning just 16 of 107 seats.[23]

Organization and structure

Central working committee

The party has 20 membered central working committee.[24]

Central committee

The party has 400 membered central committee.

Leadership

Federal council chairmen

Executive chairmen

Chief ministers

See main article: Chief minister (Nepal) and Chief Minister of Madhesh Province.

Madhesh Province

No.Chief MinisterPortraitTerm in officeLegislatureCabinetConstituency
StartEndTenure
1Lalbabu Raut14 February 2018[27] 13 January 20231st Provincial AssemblyRaut, 2017Parsa 1(B)
2Saroj Kumar Yadav13 January 2023[28] 7 June 20242nd Provincial AssemblyYadav, 2023Bara 1 (B)

Electoral performance

Provincial election

ProvinceElectionLeaderParty list votesSeatsPositionResulting government
No.%
Province 12022Upendra Yadav61,7233.25
6th
Madhesh298,77414.32
3rd
Lumbini60,8863.23
7th

Local election

List of Members of Parliament

List of Rastriya Sabha members from People's Socialist Party

People's Socialist Party (3)
ProvinceCategoryMemberPortfolio & Responsibilities / Remarks
MadheshOpenMohammad Khalid Siddiqui
OpenMrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav
WomanPuja Chaudhary

List of Pratinidhi Sabha members from People's Socialist Party

People's Socialist Party (5)
Constituency/ groupMemberPortfolio & Responsibilities / Remarks
Bara 2Upendra Yadav
  • Parliamentary party leader
Dhanusha 1Dipak Karki
Siraha 2Raj Kishor Yadav
Khas AryaPrakash Adhikari
Khas AryaRekha Yadav Thapa

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: मनिष सुमन बने जसपाको प्रवक्ता .
  2. Web site: Nepal PM Oli joins hands with Janata Samajwadi Party in bid to strengthen grip on power, boost ties with India. Free Press Journal.
  3. Web site: मधेशवादी दललाई मधेशमै धक्का- लोसपाको क्षयीकरण हुँदा जसपालाई अस्तित्व जोगाउनै हम्मे, बजेन सीके राउतको हर्न . 2022-05-22 . Lokaantar . Nepali.
  4. Web site: जनता समाजवादी पार्टीको अन्तरिम विधान सन् २०२० – peopleSocialist.org . 2020-12-09 . en-US.
  5. Web site: Republica. RJPN, SPN in informal talks for merger. 2020-11-08. My Republica. en.
  6. Web site: Republica. SPN, RJPN merger heading nowhere. 2020-11-08. My Republica. en.
  7. Web site: 2019-10-05. RJP-N, SP-N to hold unity talks after Dashain. 2020-11-08. The Himalayan Times. en-US.
  8. Web site: Yadav. Mithilesh. Unification between Samajbadi Party and RJPN unlikely soon. 2020-11-08. My Republica. en.
  9. Web site: Samajbadi Party pulls out of government, Upendra Yadav resigns. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  10. Web site: Samajbadi Party may have quit government but it doesn't seem to have a way forward. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  11. Web site: Rastriya Janata Party, despite withdrawing support for government, joins in electoral alliance with ruling party. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  12. Web site: With no signal from the government, Janata Party reconsiders merger with Samajbadi Party. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  13. Web site: Janata Party and Samajbadi Party resume informal talks for merger but are stuck at leadership modality. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  14. Web site: Setopati. Sanjib Bagale . Seven Socialist Party lawmakers announce split under Renu Yadav. 2022-01-22. Setopati.
  15. Web site: 2020-04-22. रेणु यादवको नेतृत्वमा समाजवादी पार्टी फुट्दै, ८ सांसदको हस्ताक्षर तयार. 2022-01-22. रिपोर्टर्स नेपाल. en.
  16. Web site: Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Janata Party sign midnight deal to merge parties. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  17. Web site: 2020-04-24. RJP-N, SP-N unify, register new party at EC. 2020-11-08. The Himalayan Times. en-US.
  18. Web site: Janata Samajbadi Party registered at Election Commission. 2020-11-08. kathmandupost.com. en.
  19. Web site: Two key Madhesi parties in Nepal merge to form Janata Samajwadi Party. TheWeek English. 23 May 2020.
  20. Web site: Janamat Party's Birendra Majhi elected Hanumannagar Kalankalini Municipality mayor . 2022-05-22 . kathmandupost.com . English.
  21. Web site: मधेस प्रदेशका मुख्यमन्त्री राउतकी पत्नी गाउँपालिकाको उपाध्यक्षमा पराजित . 2022-05-20 . Farakdhar Nepal's Online Magazine.
  22. Web site: स्थानीय तह निर्वाचन २०७९ निर्वाचन विवरण तथा नतिजा . 2022-05-22 . election.ekantipur.com . en.
  23. Web site: Republica . CK Raut leading by twice as many votes as Upendra Yadav . 2022-11-30 . My Republica . en.
  24. Web site: जसपा पुनर्गठन : केन्द्रीय समिति ४६६, राजनीतिक समिति १५१ (सूचीसहित) – PSPN . 2023-04-26 . en-US.
  25. Web site: अशोक राई बने जसपाको संघीय परिषद् अध्यक्ष . 2023-04-02 . Annapurna Post . Nepali.
  26. Web site: 2020-06-08 . Yadav, Thakur to co-chair JSP-Nepal . 2020-10-30 . The Himalayan Times . en-US.
  27. Web site: 14 February 2018 . Lalbabu Raut to be sworn in Province 2 CM today . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210708192348/https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/lalbabu-raut-sworn-province-2-cm-today/ . 8 July 2021 . 8 July 2021 . The Himalayan Times . en.
  28. Web site: JSP provincial assembly leader Saroj Kumar Yadav appointed Madhesh province chief minister . 2023-01-11 . kathmandupost.com . English.