By Amarendra Yadav

Kathmandu, Jan. 9: With the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and opposition Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP-N) striking a two-point agreement for the National Assembly election, speculations on the possibility of the two parties’ power alliance for the federal and State governments have been rife.
In a dramatic development on December 18, last year, the two parties had forged an election alliance through the two-point agreement to field two candidates each from State 2 for the NA election slated for January 23.
The second point of the agreement stated that the two parties would regularly hold talks on contemporary issues and proceed the process of coordination. Not only the top leaders of the NCP and RJP-N but also the political analysts do not deny the prospect of the Madhes-based party joining the federal government and the NCP forming a new government with the RJP in State 2.
Talking to The Rising Nepal, NCP Standing Committee member Satya Narayan Mandal said that his party had always welcomed the RJP-N in the current government. “The doors of the government led by party chair KP Sharma Oli are always open for the RJP-N leaders,” he said.
Mandal further said that they were ready to replace the coalition government of Samajbadi Party Nepal and RJP-N in State 2. SP Nepal is heading the government and RJP-N is the coalition partner in State 2.
“Although the two-point agreement is equally beneficial for the two signatory parties, it has extraordinarily reduced bitterness between the leaders of the two parties. I hope, our top leadership will sort out the issues of forging a governing alliance with the RJP-N for the center and State 2,” said Mandal, who is also the NCP’s Parliamentary Party leader for the State.
When talked to Rajendra Mahato, coordinator of the presidium of RJP-N, he also did not reject the possibility of his party joining the Oli-led government.
“We are not rigid over joining the NCP government,” said Mahato, adding that however they would not ascend the government merely forging an agreement with the NCP that SP Nepal chair Upendra Yadav did in the past. “We do not want to repeat the mistake Uperdraji committed by joining the current government just on the basis of an agreement with the NCP,” he clarified.
Mahato further said that his party would join the government only if the ruling party agreed in paper to release their jailed lawmaker Resham Chaudhary, withdraw cases framed against their party cadres and amend the constitution’s provisions related to language and citizenship and implement them as per the agreement.
“Except for altering the boundaries of provinces, our other demands are not so rigid that the NCP leadership could not fulfil if they want. So all these depend on the will power of the NCP leadership,” the Madhesi leader remarked. He, however, said that they had not yet thought of dismantling the current ruling coalition in State 2.
Political analyst Dr. Rajesh Ahiraj also said that the RJP-N leaders would join the Oli-led government if some of their demands like the release of lawmaker Chaudhary and the withdrawal of cases were met.
He too agreed with NCP leader Mandal that the two-point agreement was an ice break between the two parties as they inched closer for the first time after the third-Madhes movement had broken out during the constitution promulgation.
Echoing Dr. Ahiraj, another analyst Chandra Kishore said that the RJP-N could join the Oli-led government. Both analysts also were of the same views that if the RJP-N ascended the federal government, the new equation at the centre would certainly affect the current ruling coalition of State 2.
However, Kishore claimed that the NCP had forged the agreement with the RJP-N as per its design to discredit all Madhes-based parties in the region. “If the RJP-N joins the Oli-led government, it will be against the spirit of Madhes movement and the mandate of the 2017 elections,” he stated.
According to him, the election mandate for the RJP-N and SP Nepal was to rule in State 2 and continue struggle with the centre for an amendment to the Constitution.