- Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa met CPN (UML) Chair KP Sharma Oli to discuss political instability in Madhesh Province.
- Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav’s government is in crisis following the CPN (UML)'s withdrawal of support and ministerial recalls.
- The CPN (UML), JSP Nepal, and Janamat Party are exploring a new alliance with a combined 62-seat majority.
- Yadav currently lacks 17 votes needed for a majority and must secure a vote of confidence to remain in power.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa met CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli at Oli's residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, on Tuesday evening, as political instability deepens over the future of the Madhesh Provincial government.
The two leaders conferred for nearly an hour. According to sources close to Thapa, discussions focused on the rapidly evolving political landscape in Madhesh Province, the viability of the current provincial administration, and broader contemporary national political issues. Neither party has issued an official statement regarding the specifics of the meeting.
The high-level talks come at a critical juncture for the Madhesh government, led by Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav of the Nepali Congress. The provincial government was plunged into crisis after the CPN (UML) withdrew its support and recalled its four cabinet ministers, citing the non-implementation of a 15-point agreement between the coalition partners.
Following the CPN (UML)'s withdrawal, Chief Minister Yadav no longer commands a majority and must now seek a vote of confidence in the 107-member Madhesh Provincial Assembly. Under constitutional rules, securing a working majority requires at least 54 votes.
Currently, Yadav commands only 37 votes—22 from the Nepali Congress and 15 from the Communist Party of Nepal—leaving his administration 17 votes short of survival.
Concurrently, inter-party negotiations to form an alternative coalition have gathered momentum. Leaders from the CPN (UML), the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, and the Janamat Party have engaged in preliminary talks regarding potential power-sharing.
Together, the three parties hold a combined 62 seats—23 from the CPN (UML), 27 from JSP Nepal, and 12 from the Janamat Party—which comfortably exceeds the 54-seat threshold required to form a new government.
Tuesday's meeting follows a separate session held at Gundu between Oli and JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav, further fueling speculation that a new regional coalition is being negotiated. Observers view Thapa's direct intervention as an urgent effort by the Nepali Congress leadership to either safeguard its provincial foothold or negotiate a political resolution.
Whether Chief Minister Yadav can assemble the necessary votes for a confidence motion or succumb to a emerging CPN (UML)-JSP-Janamat alliance will determine the political trajectory in Janakpur over the coming days.
