KATHMANDU, Dec 28: The Upendra Yadav-led Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal and the Mahanta Thakur-led Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) have reached an agreement to unite, amid a broader wave of political alignment and realignment ahead of the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections.
JSP Nepal Spokesperson Manish Suman said a joint meeting held in Kathmandu on Sunday decided to move forward with the unification process.
An agreement signed by JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and LSP Chairman Mahanta Thakur states that the decision was taken after assessing and analysing the country's current political situation. The aim of the agreement is to institutionalise the federal democratic republican system and strengthen progressive agendas such as federalism, identity, proportional inclusion, social justice and other transformative issues, while embracing the need to build a just society.
Sources believe that Madhes-based parties, which fought hard for the federal democratic system, are wary that the federal system of governance will be at stake if new forces gain an overwhelming majority in Parliament. One of the main demands of Gen Z activists, which ousted the KP Oli-led government from power, is the abolition of provincial government structures—a key component of the federal system of governance.
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In addition to federalism, Madhesh-based parties maintain that identity, proportional inclusion, social justice and other transformative issues were the outcomes of their movement after the political change in 2006. JSP Nepal leaders told Republica that their strong presence in the federal Parliament through collective efforts among Madhesh-based political forces alone will help safeguard these achievements.
After the split of the Ashok Rai-led faction, JSP-Nepal held 12 seats, while the LSP had four seats in the HoR dissolved following the September 8–9 Gen Z movement.
The unification move of the two Madhesh-based parties comes as political parties intensify efforts to consolidate their positions and expand electoral bases in view of the HoR polls scheduled for March 5, 2026. Earlier on Sunday, the Rabi Lamichhane-led Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah reached a seven-point agreement to forge an electoral alliance.
The agreement between the RSP and the Balen-led force was signed at around 4 am on Sunday, bringing prolonged talks between the two sides to a close. It paves the way for an electoral alliance in the upcoming HoR elections.
Under the agreement, Balen Shah will serve as the parliamentary party leader and the prime ministerial candidate after the HoR election, while Rabi Lamichhane will continue as the party chairperson.
With Balen agreeing to associate with the RSP, the party's name, flag and election symbol will remain unchanged.
Following the agreement, Lamichhane said consensus should reflect what the country needs rather than what individual leaders desire. He shared the remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday morning after signing the agreement with Mayor Shah.
Earlier on December 24, the Rajendra Lingden-led Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Kamal Thapa’s Rastriya Prajatantra Party–Nepal (RPP-Nepal) had reached an agreement to reunify, marking the latest chapter in the two royalist parties’ long history of splits and mergers.
The preliminary agreement signed by Lingden and Thapa at the party office in Dhumbarahi on Wednesday sets the stage for a formal unity announcement on December 31 at City Hall in Bhrikutimandap.
Lingden argued that nationalist forces needed to consolidate their strength, describing the move as a pivotal moment in the country’s political landscape.
