Seven parties protesting the formation of the provincial government in Madhesh met with Province Head Surendra Labh Karna on Friday afternoon, stating that the appointment process of the chief minister was unconstitutional.

During the meeting at the provincial head’s residence in Madhesh Bhawan, party leaders expressed dissatisfaction with Speaker Ramchandra Mandal. Ram Ashish Yadav, chief whip of the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, accused Mandal of not acting in a manner befitting his position.

He said the Speaker manhandled and mistreated lawmakers from the seven parties when they went to file a proposal on Thursday.

“We briefed the province head on all recent developments,” Yadav said. “We also urged him to help create an environment for the assembly to function.”

Former Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav, outgoing Chief Minister Jitendra Sonal, Nepali Congress provincial party leader Krishna Prasad Yadav, and other lawmakers from the seven parties attended the meeting.

Newly appointed Province Head Labh arrived in Janakpur on Thursday to assume office and has since begun consultations with political representatives on the ongoing deadlock in Madhesh.

Speaker Mandal on Thursday stripped provincial lawmakers—Urmila Devi Singh from Nagarik Unmukti Party; Manish Kumar Suman, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Singhasan Sah Kalwar, and Sharada Shankar Prasad Kalwar from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal of their position as assembly members, citing their absence in 10 consecutive assembly meetings.

The Speaker took the action after lawmakers filed a motion for “conduct unbecoming of office” against him.

Earlier today, Deputy-speaker Babita Kumari Raut overturned Speaker Mandal’s decision to sack the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the seven-party alliance staged a protest in Jaleshwar on Friday against Madhesh Province Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav.

The parties said former province head Sumitra Bhandari appointed Yadav unconstitutionally and demanded that his appointment be scrapped.

Protesters marched through the town chanting slogans against what they called the “hotel government” and said federalism must be protected. Alliance leaders also accused the UML of working against the federal system.