KATHMANDU, MARCH 09

Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N) has decided to field its lawmaker and leader of the parliamentary party Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav for vice-president.

JSP-N Spokesperson Manish Suman informed, 'The central working committee of the party today decided this.' He added, 'No discussions were held about the party's candidate replacing him in the constituency, but there is possibility party Chairman Upendra Yadav will contest the by-election from Bara-2 which will fall vacant after the vice-president election.'

On February 24, when the eight parties agreed to support the Nepali Congress candidate for president, they also agreed to give the vice-president to JSP-N.

Upendra Yadav will nominate lawmaker Ram Sahay Prasad, who is also his confidant, as the vice-presidential candidate of the party.

Manish Suman informed that Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav would be elected unopposed, adding that JSP-N would seek support of all the parties including CPN-UML.

As the CPN-UML is unlikely to field a candidate for vice-president, chances of Ram Sahay Prasad being elected unopposed on March 17 are high.

According to sources, if JSP-N leader becomes the vice presidential candidate from the 8-party alliance, UML will not field its candidate.

When the presidential election was being held in New Baneshwor, the UML and JSP-N leaders held informal discussion on the issue.

Candidacy registration for vice-president is slated for March 13.

According to sources, Yadav wants to pave the way for his re-entry into the Parliament after losing to Janamat Party Chair CK Raut in the general election last November.

'Developments in the JSP-N suggest that party chair Yadav's strategy is to enter Parliament by making his lawmaker Ram Sahay Yadav vice-president,' said Chandra Kishore, a political analyst, who follows Madhes politics.

Upendra Yadav had earlier promoted Ram Sahay to the post of the JSP-N parliamentary party leader.

This is seen as a calculated move reflecting his desire to lead the JSP-N parliamentary party if he is elected from Bara in the by-election.

Once elected, the president and vice-president have to resign their parliamentary seats and these seats go up for by-election.

It is Ram Sahay's seat, which will fall vacant that Yadav is eyeing to make his comeback.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 10, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.