Upendra Yadav Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Honourable
Native Name:उपेन्द्र यादव
Office:Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal
Alongside:Narayan Kaji Shrestha and
Rabi Lamichhane
Term Start:10 March 2024
Term End:13 May 2024
President:Ram Chandra Poudel
Primeminister:Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Predecessor:Purna Bahadur Khadka
Alongside1:Ishwar Pokhrel
Term Start1:1 June 2018
Term End1:24 December 2019
President1:Bidya Devi Bhandari
Primeminister1:KP Sharma Oli
Predecessor1:Bimalendra Nidhi
Successor1:Bishnu Prasad Paudel
Raghubir Mahaseth
Term Start2:10 March 2024
Term End2:13 May 2024
President2:Ram Chandra Poudel
Primeminister2:Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Predecessor2:Mohan Bahadur Basnet
Successor2:Pradeep Yadav
Term Start3:1 June 2018
Term End3:20 November 2019
President3:Bidya Devi Bhandari
Primeminister3:KP Sharma Oli
Successor3:Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal
Office4:Minister of Foreign Affairs
Term Start4:4 May 2011
Term End4:29 August 2011
President4:Ram Baran Yadav
Primeminister4:Jhala Nath Khanal
Predecessor4:Bishnu Prasad Paudel
Successor4:Narayan Kaji Shrestha
Term Start5:18 August 2008
Term End5:25 May 2009
President5:Ram Baran Yadav
Primeminister5:Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Predecessor5:Sahana Pradhan
Successor5:Sujata Koirala
Term Start6:21 November 2019
Term End6:24 December 2019
President6:Bidya Devi Bhandari
Primeminister6:KP Sharma Oli
Predecessor6:Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal
Successor6:Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe
Office7:President of
Term Start7:2020
Term End7:2023
Predecessor7:Office created
Successor7:Raj Kishor Yadav
Office10:Member of Parliament,
Pratinidhi Sabha
Termstart10:2 May 2023
Predecessor10:Ram Sahaya Yadav
Constituency10:Bara 2
Term Start11:4 March 2018[1]
Term End11:18 September 2022
Predecessor11:Ashok Kumar Mandal
Successor11:Chandra Kant Raut
Constituency11:Saptari 2
Term Start12:28 May 2008
Term End12:14 October 2017
Constituency12:Sunsari 5
Predecessor12:Girija Prasad Koirala
Successor12:Consuituency abolished
Birth Name:Upendra Yadav
Birth Date:8 January 1961
Birth Place:Bhagawatpur, Saptari, Nepal
Father:Dhani Lal Yadav
Mother:Phudani Devi Yadav
Spouse:Parbati Yadav
Children:Amrendra Yadav and 1 daughter
Residence:Biratnagar, Morang

Upendra Yadav (; born 12 November 1960) is a Nepalese politician who has twice served as Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal and also served as the chairman of the People's Socialist Party, Nepal from 2020 until 2023.[2]

He was previously the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal and Minister of Health and Population. [3] [4] He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Dahal cabinet from 2008 to 2009 and in the Khanal cabinet in 2011.[5] [6] Yadav lost an election in 2022, being defeated by Janamat Party chair CK Raut in Saptari 2 with a margin of 18,000 votes.[7] [8]

Early life and education

Yadav was born in Bhagwatpur, Saptari to Dhanilal Yadav and Phudani Devi Yadav on 12 November 1960. He grew up in Madhuwan and completed his SLC examinations there in 1975. He completed his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Hattisar College in Dharan and his master's degree in law at Mahendra Morang Adarsh Multiple Campus in Biratnagar.[9] [10]

Political career

Yadav was involved in protests against the panchayat system as far back as 1975. He was involved in the 1979 student protests and was arrested in Biratnagar and was imprisoned for fourth months.[11] He was also arrested in 1985 at Kathmandu and imprisoned for a year for participating in a Satyagraha organized by Nepali Congress. Yadav joined the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) in 1991 and contested for the House of Representatives from Sunsari 4 in the same year. He gained 8,672 votes but finished a distant second. He served as the district leader of Sunsari and Morang district during his time in the party. He resigned from the party in 1997.

Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum: 1997–2015

See also: Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal. He founded the Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum in the mid-1990s along with Nepali Congress leader Jay Prakash Gupta as a non-governmental organization that advocated for Madheshi rights.[12] After leaving CPN (UML) Yadav had become an alternate central committee member of CPN (Maoist). In February 2004 Yadav was arrested in New Delhi along with Maoist party members Matrika Yadav and Mohan Baidya. He was released after two months while the others were handed over to Nepalese authorities in 2006.[13]

Madhesh movement

He was again arrested on 16 January 2007 in Kathmandu along with MP Amaresh Kumar Singh and a dozen others after they burned copies of the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007 after it did not address the issue of federalism and greater political representation from the Terai in the parliament and the constituent assembly.[14] [15] Following mass protests and indefinite strikes in the Terai region organized by his party, the government agreed to amend the interim constitution and on 12 April 2007, Nepal was turned into a federal republic.[16]

Constituent Assembly

He registered the organization as a political party on 26 April 2007 to contest the constituent assembly elections.[17] He was elected to the 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly from Sunsari 5 at the 2008 elections. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in a coalition government with the CPN (Maoist) from August 2008 to May 2009 and again in a coalition government with CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) in 2011. After Bijay Kumar Gachhadar split away from the party to form Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik), Yadav served as the parliamentary party leader of the MJF. He was also a member of the State Affairs Committee of the Constituent Assembly.[18] He retained his seat in the 2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly from Sunsari 5 at the 2013 elections. He served as the parliamentary party leader of MJF and also served as a member of the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee.[19]

National politics: since 2015

On 15 June 2015, his party merged with Federal Socialist Party and Khas Samabesi Party to form the Federal Socialist Forum. He served as co-chairman of the new party along with Rajendra Prasad Shrestha. He contested the 2017 elections to the House of Representatives from Saptari 2 and was elected.[20] [21] He was a member of the Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives.[22] He served as the Deputy Prime Minister in a coalition government with the Nepal Communist Party from June 2018 to December 2019. His party merged with the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal in 2020 to form the People's Socialist Party.[23] He served as co-chairman of the party with Mahantha Thakur until Thakur split off to form the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal.[24] Yadav contested the 2022 elections to the House of Representatives from Saptari 2 again but lost to Janamat Party chairman Chandra Kant Raut by a margin of over 18,000 votes.[25]

Criticism

Yadav has been accused of being linked to Hindu extremist groups and in December 2006 publicly supported the notion of Nepal as a Hindu nation at a program of right-wing Hindu groups in Gorakhpur, India. A month after the incident he was leading the protests in support of turning Nepal into a secular federal republic.

He has also been accused of focusing on Yadavs instead of the greater Madheshi community. He was criticized by some for supporting Nepali Congress candidate Ram Baran Yadav instead of CPN (Maoist) candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh.

Yadav had been criticized for the Gaur incident where dozens of CPN (Maoist) cadres were left dead following violent clashes with cadres of Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum. Yadav was supposed to address a mass meeting of MJFN supporters in Gaur, Rautahat, the Madhesh Mukti Morcha of CPN (Maoist) were also holding their rally in the same venue. MJF and Maoist supporters were engaged in clashes during the Madhesh movement and the Gaur incident was seen as retaliation for these clashes.[26] [27] [28]

Once a major activist for Madheshi people, Yadav has been criticized for forgetting Madhesh-centric issues as he became more active in national politics.[29]

Personal life

Yadav is married to Parbati Yadav with whom he has two children, a son and a daughter. His son, Amarendra Yadav, contested the 2022 local elections for the deputy mayor of Biratnagar but lost.[30] [31]

Electoral history

YearOfficeElectoratePartyMain opponentVotes for YadavResultNotes
Total.
1991RepresentativeSunsari 4
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Khalil Miya8,6722nd
2008ConstituentSunsari 5
Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum, NepalMohammad Mahfuz Ansari23,9391st
Morang 5Amrit Kumar Aryal27,5081stVacated
2013ConstituentSunsari 5
Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum, NepalGafar Ansari Miya7,2641st
Morang 5Amrit Kumar Aryal12,5662nd
2017RepresentativeSaptari 2Federal Socialist Forum, NepalUmesh Kumar Yadav21,6201st
2022RepresentativeSaptari 2People's Socialist Party, NepalChandra Kant Raut16,9792nd
2023RepresentativeBara 2People's Socialist Party, NepalShivachandra Prasad Kushwaha28,4151st

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: First meeting of House of Representatives concluded. 2018-03-05. The Himalayan Times. 2018-03-15. en-US.
  2. Web site: 2015-06-15 . Upendra Yadav, Ashok Rai announce unity, form FSF-N . 2017-12-09 . The Himalayan Times . en-US.
  3. Web site: कर्ण . खगेन्द्र . 2021-05-24 . मधेसवाद कि अवसरवाद?‍ . Madhesh-ist or Opportunist? . 2022-01-16 . eKagaj . ne.
  4. Web site: Nepali prime minister expands cabinet for fourth time . https://web.archive.org/web/20180908164346/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/01/c_137223860.htm . dead . September 8, 2018 . 2018-06-02 . Xinhua.
  5. Web site: 2008-11-20 . Ministers of Democratic Federal Republic of Nepal . 2022-06-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081120225401/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/ministers_republic_nepal.php . 2008-11-20 .
  6. Web site: 2011-05-05 . Upendra Yadav becomes new Nepal DPM and Foreign Minister Asia News . 2022-06-10 . Zee News . en.
  7. Web site: CK Raut elected as HoR member from Saptari-2 . 2023-04-04 . kathmandupost.com . English.
  8. Web site: Ghimire . Santosh . 2022-11-28 . The fall of Upendra Yadav in Nepal's politics . 2023-04-04 . Indianarrative . en.
  9. News: Wagle . Dinesh . Mishra . Atul . 2011-09-03 . उपेन्द्र यादव उवाच . ne . Upendra Yadav Said . Kantipur .
  10. Book: संघीय संसद सदस्य, २०७४ परिचयात्मक पुस्तिका . Federal Parliament Secretariat . 2021 . Nepal . 270 . ne . Federal Parliament Members 2017 Introduction Booklet.
  11. Sarkar . Sarbary Dey . June 2018 . Madheshi Movement and Upendra Yadav . Journal of Education and Development . 8 . 15 . 305–312.
  12. Basnet . Chudamani . 2019-11-30 . The Federal Socialist Forum: Incipient Middle Caste Politics in Nepal? . Studies in Nepali History and Society . 24 . 2 . 355.
  13. Web site: Aryal . Mallika . The rise of a party . 2022-06-10 . Nepali Times.
  14. Book: Jha, Prashant . Battles of the New Republic: A Contemporary History of Nepal . 2014 . Oxford University Press . 9781849044592 . en.
  15. Web site: 2007-02-09 . Over two dozen MPRF activists arrested in the capital . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20070209103328/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/jan/jan16/news11.php . 2007-02-09 . 2020-12-28.
  16. Chamlagai . Abi . 2021 . Nepal: Tarai/madhesh movements and political elites . Journal of Asian and African Studies . 56 . 4 . 949–963 . 10.1177/0021909620954881 . 225194374 . Sage Journals.
  17. Web site: 2007-04-26 . MJF is now a political party . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070430002447/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/apr/apr26/news12.php . 2007-04-30 . 2008-09-06 . Nepalnews.com.
  18. Web site: 2021 . संसदीय विवरण पुस्तिका, संविधान सभा व्यवस्थापिका-संसद (२०६५ - २०६९) . Parliamentary Manual, Constituent Assembly Legislature Parliament (2008 - 2012) . 2022-06-10 . House of Representatives, Nepal . ne.
  19. Web site: 2017 . संविधान सभा दर्पण - २ (२०७० - २०७२) . Constituent Assembly Mirror - 2 (2013 - 2015) . House of Representatives, Nepal . ne.
  20. Web site: भण्डारी . अखण्ड . झा . अबधेश . 2017-11-05 . किन सरे उपेन्द्र यादव सप्तरी? . Why did Upendra Yadav move to Saptari? . 2022-01-16 . Ekantipur . ne.
  21. Web site: Upendra Yadav wins parliamentary seat from Saptari-2 . 2022-06-10 . The Himalayan Times. 9 December 2017 .
  22. Web site: शिक्षा तथा स्वास्थ्य समिति . 2022-06-10 . House of Representatives, Nepal.
  23. Web site: Two key Madhesi parties in Nepal merge to form Janata Samajwadi Party . 2022-06-10 . The Week . en.
  24. Web site: 2021-08-19 . Madhav Kumar Nepal, Mahantha Thakur register new parties; commission's approval likely in 2 weeks . 2022-06-10 . Onlinekhabar . en-GB.
  25. Web site: CK Raut wins Saptari-2 beating Upendra Yadav by 18k+ votes . 2022-12-07 . thehimalayantimes.com. 23 November 2022 .
  26. News: Sharma . Gopal . 2007-03-21 . Curfew in Nepal town after 25 killed in clash . en . Reuters . 2020-12-28.
  27. Web site: 2008-07-09 . Ominous Trend, Despite Maoists joining the mainstream, the politics of violence continues to grip the country . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080709000835/http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/2007/englishweekly/spotlight/mar/mar30/national.php . 2008-07-09 . 2020-12-28 . Nepal News.
  28. Web site: Jha . Prashant . Underestimating Upendra . 2022-06-10 . Nepali Times.
  29. Web site: बगाले . सन्जिब . 2017-06-15 . उपेन्द्र यादवको 'यु-टर्न'को कारण . The reason for Upendra Yadav's U-Turn . 2022-01-16 . Setopati . ne.
  30. Web site: 2022-04-25 . Coalition files nomination of Koirala for Biratnagar Mayor, Yadav for Deputy Mayor . 2022-06-10 . The Rising Nepal.
  31. Web site: रिमाल . कमल . 2022-05-20 . उपमेयरमा उपेन्द्र यादवका छोरा अमरेन्द्रको पराजय निश्चित . Defeat of Upendra Yadav's son Amarendra as deputy mayor is certain . 2022-06-10 . Himal Khabar . ne.