Kathmandu, February 3

Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal will elect its parliamentary party leader in Province 2 tomorrow.

A meeting of FSF-N members of Province 2 Provincial Assembly in Janakpurdham today formed a three-member Election Committee to hold election for parliamentary party leader. Shailendra Sah said the meeting formed the Election Committee under Renu Yadav. Shambu Jha and Shesh Narayan Yadav are members of the committee.  Jha said the PP leader would be elected tomorrow. He also said there were chances the PP leader would be elected unopposed.

FSF-N PA member Shailendra Sah said over phone that the PP leader would most likely be elected unanimously, but if there was no consensus, then voting would be held.

Sah said all the party leaders were of the view that the PP leader should be elected unopposed to give the message of unity.

The FSF-N meeting also formed a Parliamentary Party Statute Drafting Committee under Ramashish Yadav. The meeting was chaired by FSF-N Chairperson Upendra Yadav.

Sah said the FSF-N and RJP-N could also discuss government formation and allocation of provincial posts.

In the 107-member Provincial Assembly of Province 2, FSF-N has won 29 seats and RJP-N 25.

The CPN-UML has won 21 seats and CPN-MC 11 seats.

Shailendra Sah said voters had given clear mandate to FSF-N and RJP-N to form coalition government. “If these two parties do not form coalition government then the mandate given by voters would be violated,” Sah argued.

Meanwhile, a meeting of RJP-N leaders nominated its leaders Manish Kumar Suman, and Surita Sah to the Business Advisory Committee of the Provincial Assembly. The committee will be formed soon.

Suman said the meeting, which was attended by members of the party presidium, including Mahantha Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, Sharat Singh Bhandari, Anil Kumar Jha, Mahendra Yadav and Rajkishor Yadav, also decided to nominate party leaders  Ramesh Patel, Ram Naresh Ray and Dimpal Jha to the PA Regulation Drafting Committee.

The party also named its leader Nawal Kishor Shah as the party’s representative in the speakers panel who could serve as speaker in the absence of the speaker of the PA.

The party decided that PA member Jitendra Sonal would make the first speech in the Provincial Assembly tomorrow.

Suman said that the party would formulate its parliamentary party statute following which the leader of the parliamentary party would be elected.

RJP-N leader Rajendra Mahato said his party would hold formal talks with FSF-N on government formation from Monday.

“According to constitutional provisions, provincial governments should be formed within a month after the announcement of results of the Provincial Assembly. We will hold formal dialogue with the FSF-N from Monday in this regard,” Mahato said over phone.

He added his party was in favour of sealing a deal in a package as far as provincial posts of chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, ministries and ministers were concerned.

According to an FSF-N press release, the party named Gyanendra Yadav and Yogendra Ray Yadav as its representatives in the Business Advisory Committee of Province 2 PA.