KATHMANDU, July 7: Both the establishment and rival factions of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) have called separate meetings of the party’s Central Committee on the same date. 

Chairman of the Executive Committee Upendra Yadav has called a meeting in Birgunj on July 13 and 14 while the rival faction-led by Dr Baburam Bhattarai has convened a meeting in Kathmandu on July 12 and 13.

Bhattarai faction leader and executive committee member Prashant Singh said he would not attend the meeting in Birgunj. He also said that the meeting was not a party meeting. "It's not a party meeting. That is a faction meeting. We have not been invited to that meeting. We will not go to the meeting,” said Singh. “The party meeting is being convened in Kathmandu on July 12 and 13.”

According to the Bhattarai faction’s leaders, Bhattarai was not even invited to the meeting being convened by Chairman Yadav. Executive Chairman Yadav has called the meeting on July 13 and 14 by postponing the date of the previous meeting. 

The JSP leaders are now clearly divided into two factions. Leaders belonging to the Bhattarai-led faction will participate in the meeting in Kathmandu and leaders close to Yadav will participate in Birgunj. MP Amrita Agrahari, who had openly supported Bhattarai earlier, said that she would not participate in both the meetings.

"I am sick. Probably I will not participate in both the meetings,” she said. Mahendra Yadav and Raj Kishor Yadav have also supported Bhattarai. According to sources, the two leaders are now trying to play the role of moderators. Sources say that Mahendra Yadav and Raj Kishor Yadav are trying to stop JSP from splitting.

Bhattarai faction has argued that those who aspired to become ministers after the cabinet reshuffle but did not become ministers would oppose Yadav and this is likely to benefit Bhattarai-led faction. Therefore, they convened a meeting of the Central Committee in Kathmandu as soon as the cabinet was reshuffled. But sources claim that Bhattarai's faction is not strong even after the cabinet reshuffle.

"After the cabinet reshuffle, they (Bhattarai faction leaders) were of the view that the Yadav faction would revolt and the benefits would accrue to their group,” said a leader from the Yadav faction. “However, this analysis is proving to be wrong. Of course, those who were denied ministerial berths are dissatisfied. But it is not possible to jump to another faction by risking their own political future.”

 
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