Although the activities of political parties do not represent the system, they have given critics of federalism a platform to raise their voices. Provinces have also been criticized for becoming centers of political power.
What you should know
Madhesh Province Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav was addressing the provincial assembly on Wednesday, but none of the seven opposition parties were present. He announced his resignation after addressing the assembly without any opposition for nearly 45 minutes. The empty seats in the provincial assembly are enough to understand how much the politics of Janakpur has been shaken during Yadav's three-week journey as chief minister.
The non-political game he started by taking oath in a hotel in Bardibas (Kalapani) was definitely not sustainable. Therefore, even before this context was exposed on Wednesday, his political image had already been deeply damaged. His party UML has also suffered political losses in the province.
This is the message given by Janakpur in a month, that the politics of gains created through games and abuse of office is temporary. It causes damage. It makes the people angry. Even the system can be criticized. Therefore, the parties should be committed to the spirit and spirit of the constitution, the expectations of the people, the rule of law, and political activities that are shameful to the people.
Dissatisfaction and imbalance began to be seen in the politics of Madhesh Province after the then Speaker Ramchandra Mandal conducted the meeting on 22 Kartik in a controversial manner. Mandal himself had to face the ‘proposal for not behaving in a manner befitting his position’. After the proposal was passed, he was relieved of his post on 3 Mangesh. After the resignation of the then Chief Minister Jitendra Prasad Sonar 'Sonal' on 22 Kartik, the responsibility of finding a balanced role and finding a suitable solution fell on the shoulders of the provincial chief Sumitra Subedi Bhandari. But she adopted a style of work that increased conflict within the province.
Bhandari, who left for Kathmandu for treatment in the morning of 24 Kartik, had administered the oath of office to Saroj Kumar Yadav at a hotel in Bardibas (Kalapani). She tried to complete the political process in a non-political manner. She was punished for this, losing her post immediately. However, Janakpur was engulfed in political conflict. It became busy with vandalism and sit-ins. Chief Minister Yadav also could not gain political legitimacy. The Supreme Court granted partial constitutional legitimacy but also gave a mandate to take a vote of confidence within 24 hours, and he moved towards the path of exit.
It would be better if the party activities linked to power were concentrated in political offices such as the Provincial Assembly, parliamentary party, and the Chief Minister's Office. But there has been an increase in disputes over power and writs reaching the Supreme Court. This has been seen in the course of events from the union to the provinces. The issue of the formation and dissolution of the government of Madhesh Province also reached the Supreme Court. It was a situation where it had to decide.
On Kartik 25, the Supreme Court had to issue an interim order to the government not to make decisions that would have a long-term impact on Madhesh Province. On Monday, the Supreme Court gave a mandate to Chief Minister Yadav to seek a vote of confidence within 24 hours. This is not only a reference, but also a situation where the political parties are losing their status as politically decisive. It is also a situation where the credibility and mutual understanding of political parties are weakening. All political players from the union to the provinces need to introspect on this.
It has been established that the then Speaker Mandal and Province Chief Bhandari had misused their positions. Chief Minister Yadav, on the other hand, was rejected from the beginning because he resorted to force. This is why the UML lost the Speaker and Province Chief in the province, and could not continue the Chief Minister. Instead, it has earned political infamy. However, the political upheaval that has lasted for more than three weeks has reaffirmed that political parties are indifferent to the people and are engrossed in the game of power and authority.
At other times, the people had expressed disappointment that ‘leaders are like this’, but since the Gen-G movement is being debated for reform, there are signs that the expectation that the parties will bring about reforms in their working style will not be fulfilled. Because, the parties have easily sidelined the message given by the Gen-G movement and the reforms sought. They have indulged in the same whims that they are well versed in. Such politics has been sensational, but it is also becoming fruitless for the people. The people are seeking freedom from political maneuvers that are always in the news but do not touch them.
The game of political spectacle was not invented in Janakpur. It is just that leaders everywhere have been inspired and imitated by the skills developed by political parties led by the central/federal government for years. Such a game has been played in different formats in almost all provinces including Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, Sudurpaschim. It has repeatedly undermined the essence of the constitution, the burden of the system, and the expectations of the people.
Although the activities of political parties do not represent the system, the parties' activities have given the critics of federalism a basis to raise their voices. The provinces have also been criticized for becoming centers of power politics. Therefore, since Madhesh Province is the mother of federalism, it is expected that the political activities there can make federalism exemplary. But when political maneuvering gets priority there, it has also emboldened the class that is loyal to federalism. Therefore, leaders, parties, and coalitions should be sensitive to the damage caused to the system due to their activities.
