Leaders close to Bhattarai faction stop visiting JSP office

KATHMANDU, July 11: Although the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) has not formally split yet, the party is clearly divided into two factions. This is manifested by the fact that all leaders close to the party’s Federal Council Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai have stopped visiting the party office in Balkumari.

Prashant Singh, a leader close to Bhattarai and member of the executive committee, said that they had stopped visiting the party office in Balkumari after the local level election. "We have no place to stay in Balkumari. There is a room for Federal Council Chairman Bhattarai. But he has also stopped going,” said Singh. “If we are not even invited to the party meeting, why should we go there?”

Chairman of the Executive Committee Upendra Yadav had convened a meeting of the Executive Committee at the party office in Balkumari on June 27. Yadav did not invite Dr Bhattarai and leaders close to him in the meeting.

Dr Bhattarai-led faction has separately called an extended meeting of the Central Committee in Kathmandu on July 12 and 13. Bhattarai is scheduled to present a political report at the meeting.

Meanwhile, leaders close to the Yadav-led faction have issued an order saying that the meeting convened in Kathmandu on July 12 and 13 was not an official meeting of the party. The Yadav faction convened a meeting of the Central Committee in Birgunj on July 13 and 14. Both sides have claimed that the meeting convened by their rival faction was not legal.

Bhattarai and Yadav have agreed to part ways in a cordial manner without abusing each other. JSP Chairman Yadav commands a comfortable majority within the party.