Upendra Yadav Continues Informal Discussions to Strengthen Party Organization
Upendra Yadav, Chairperson of the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, has been engaging in informal discussions with key party leaders in Saptari as part of efforts to strengthen the party. In the general elections held in Falgun, the JSP failed to cross the three percent vote threshold, and none of its 94 candidates secured a victory. The Election Commission has officially recognized the merger between JSP Nepal and the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party led by Mahanta Thakur, signaling renewed momentum in party activities.
On April 14 in Kathmandu, Upendra Yadav met with party leaders in Rajbiraj, Saptari. He has also held talks with local-level leaders in constituencies within Saptari-3. Yadav himself was defeated in Saptari-3 during the House of Representatives election held on February 21. Despite fielding 94 candidates under the election symbol ‘umbrella,’ JSP Nepal failed to secure any seats. In proportional representation, the party received 182,285 votes but did not meet the three percent threshold required for representation.
As the Madhesi party with the highest vote count, Yadav has intensified informal meetings and discussions following the election. He stated, “I am conducting ongoing meetings to review the past election and strengthen the party. I am focused on directly engaging with the public to share our ideas and raise awareness.” In Kathmandu, Yadav continues informal consultations with party leaders and workers, regularly visiting the central office despite the absence of formal meetings.
Although JSP Nepal faced defeat in the Falgun elections, the party has yet to conduct a formal election review. The merger with Mahanta Thakur’s Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) had been initiated prior to the election, but leaders say the incomplete process has delayed official reviews. According to a pact made last Poush, Mahanta Thakur became the patron of JSP Nepal and serves as a member of the National Assembly. Before the merger with JSP Nepal, LSP had also merged with other parties. On Mangsir 24, the Janata Pragatisheel Party led by Hridayesh Tripathi and the Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TAMLOPA) led by Brijesh Chandra Lal agreed to merge with LSP. Presently, TAMLOPA has distanced itself from this agreement. Tripathi states, “Our party is completely integrated now. I will share my views with the LSP leadership.”
The Election Commission’s meeting on Monday formally endorsed the merger of JSP Nepal. Leaders say official recognition has brought renewed vitality to the party’s operations. Rakam Chamjong, co-chairperson of JSP Nepal, mentioned that discussions for unification with other parties are ongoing. He said, “We are engaging in multi-dimensional talks to strengthen the party. A decisive resolution will soon be made at the upcoming central executive committee meeting.”
Despite various unification efforts, the party still failed to meet the electoral threshold. Chairperson Yadav is holding discussions with party workers from central to ward levels on this issue. Even though the election results fell short of expectations, JSP Nepal leaders believe the party maintains ideological clarity. Yadav remarked, “I am focusing on strengthening the organization by communicating our agenda directly to the people.”
Gajendra Narayan Singh founded the Nepal Sadbhavana Party over three and a half decades ago, emphasizing Madhesi rights, citizenship, inclusion, and federalism. This party strongly raised Madhesh issues in parliament. In the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, Madhesi parties emerged as the fourth and fifth largest groups. Under the leadership of Upendra Yadav, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum secured 52 seats, becoming the fourth largest party. Yadav, who began his leftist political career during his student years in 1975, also worked within the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist). After leaving communist politics, he headed the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, which vocally opposed the 2006 Interim Constitution. A significant flashpoint was the burning of the interim constitution during a major demonstration at Kathmandu’s Maitighar Mandala labeled by the Madhesh Movement. Influenced by this movement, 87 Madhesi party members were elected to Nepal’s first 601-member Constituent Assembly. Yadav has also been elected as a member of the House of Representatives multiple times — in Sunsari-5 and Morang-5 in 2008, Sunsari-5 in 2013, Saptari-2 in 2017, and Bara-2 in the 2024 by-election — and has served as Deputy Prime Minister.
In 2009, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum split, forming the Forum Democratic faction. Since then, parties under Yadav’s leadership have experienced ongoing fragmentation and reunification. After merging with Ashok Rai’s party, the Federal Socialist Forum was formed, chaired by Yadav. Following another merger with former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s party, the current Samajwadi Party was established. However, Bhattarai and Rai are currently no longer aligned with Yadav.
Despite the pre-election merger with LSP, Madhesi parties could not secure victories in the House of Representatives. Leaders report ongoing talks with other parties, including the Janamat Party led by CK Raut who refuses to unify, Rajendra Mahato’s Rastriya Mukti Party, Resham Chaudhary’s Citizen Upliftment Party, Ashok Rai’s party, and others. Following the election results, Yadav has focused on informal discussions while also spending time with family and close associates.
JSP Nepal General Secretary Lalbabu Raut noted that Chairperson Yadav emphasized direct interaction with the public. He said, “Since there are no issues with the agenda, the chairperson has accelerated efforts to expand the organization.”