KATHMANDU, June 12: Janata Samajbadi Party has decided to vote in favor of the constitution amendment bill introduced in parliament to update the political map in Nepal's national emblem. 

A meeting of the party's top leaders including Upendra Yadav and Mahantha Thakuar held on Friday made a decision to this effect. "Our party has decided to vote in favor of the constitution amendment bill introduced in parliament," said Janata Samajwadi Party leader Keshab Jha.

The party has made preparations to issue whip to all lawmakers to vote in favor of the amendment bill on Saturday. A parliamentary party meeting scheduled for 11 am Saturday will issue the whip. 

This comes amid the party's lawmaker Sarita Giri registering an amendment proposal against the constitution amendment bill in parliament. Although the party's chief whip has already directed her to withdraw her proposal from parliament, Giri has not withdrawn her amendment proposal.

Party leaders said Giri will withdraw her proposal on Saturday as the party is set to issue a whip to its all lawmakers. The failure to withdraw the proposal despite the party's directives and comply with the party's whip could cost her the position of lawmaker.

Voting for the amendment bill is  likely to take place on Saturday itself. In addition to the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), the main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party have already announced to vote in favor of the amendment proposal. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the House of Representatives (HoR) unanimously endorsed a proposal to consider the constitution amendment bill to pave way for replacing Nepal's map in the national emblem with the country's new political and administrative map which includes Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura. These territories, which Nepal maintains belong to it, have been controlled by India since the 1960s. 

Diplomatic tension has surfaced between Nepal and India after Nepal protested against India's unilateral move to build infrastructures in the Kalapani region. The latest controversy started after India released a new political map earlier last year that showed Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura on its side of the border and Indian Defense Minister Raj Nath Singh inaugurated a link road that passed through these territory in March even as both the countries agreed that there exist outstanding boundary issue and need to be resolved through diplomatic initiatives. 

 
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