The Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal (JSP-Nepal) has announced it will not support the government’s land-related ordinance in either house of Parliament. JSP Nepal’s parliamentary party meeting held in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu on Tuesday decided to oppose the ordinance in both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, the party’s vice chair Raj Kishore Yadav said.

He stated that while JSP-Nepal would back the government on five other ordinances, it could not support the land-related one. The party described the ordinance as being in favour of land mafia and claimed it would not benefit genuine landless people, but rather serve the interests of middlemen. “This ordinance is detrimental to the long-term interests of the nation,” Yadav said. “It will cause significant harm to the nation and cannot be accepted.”

JSP-Nepal also expressed concerns over the broader implications of the ordinance, which it argued would disproportionately favour large real estate developers, particularly in forests, protected areas, and other key regions. The party had formed a study committee under the leadership of vice chair Yadav before making any formal decision. The committee report concluded that the ordinance’s provisions would exacerbate landlessness, especially among Dalits and marginalised groups, while undermining proper land distribution practices.

The JSP-Nepal’s stance adds to the complexity of the parliamentary proceedings. Although the ruling coalition, led by the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, holds a strong majority in the lower house, the coalition is in minority in the National Assembly. The ruling parties’ ability to endorse the ordinance in the upper house now depends on whether they can garner the support of smaller parties like JSP-Nepal.

Currently, the ruling coalition’s support in the National Assembly stands at 27 seats, while opposition parties control 26. JSP-Nepal’s three votes could ultimately tip the balance. The ruling parties are hopeful they will secure enough backing to pass the ordinance, despite vocal opposition from multiple parties, including JSP-Nepal.