The Janata Samajbadi Party has asked Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal which party they actually lead.

Dahal and Nepal on Thursday had reached out to the Janata Samajbadi Party seeking its support in the changed political scenario.

After the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s position has become untenable–he will either have to resign or face a no-confidence motion, which he is likely to lose.

Dahal and Nepal lead a faction of the Nepal Communist Party ever since Oli dissolved the House on December 20. But on Tuesday, the top court declared Oli’s decision unconstitutional and asked authorities to call the House meeting within 13 days–by March 8.

“They [Dahal and Nepal] sought our opinion on the next step and whether we would forged an alliance with them,” Rajendra Mahato, a senior leader of the Janata Samajbadi Party, told reporters after his party’s meeting with Dahal and Nepal at Parisdanda. “But we sought to know from them which party they have. In the party system, there must be a party [to forge an alliance]. There is some confusion.”

Mahato said that the proposal put forth by Dahal and Nepal will be tabled before his party for discussion.

The Dahal-Nepal faction on Wednesday had reached out to the Nepali Congress also, seeking support in the formation of a new government.

The Congress, however, is in a wait and see mode, as it has maintained that the Nepal Communist Party has yet to split–officially and legally.

The Dahal-Nepal faction, which claims to have control over 90 Members of Parliament, can easily form a government if the Congress, which has 63 seats in Parliament, extends its support.

But the Congress party has been approached by the Oli faction of the Nepal Communist Party as well, which has around 82-83 parliamentarians.

If the Congress party refused to side with either faction, there could be a deadlock in the House, unless both factions of the Nepal Communist Party bury the hatchet and decide to remain united.

The Janata Samajbadi Party has 34 seats in Parliament, but two of its lawmakers remain suspended.

An alliance between the Dahal-Nepal faction and the Janata Samajbadi Party won’t be able to form a government, as they will not be able to reach the magic number of 138 in the 275-member House of Representatives.

The Dahal-Nepal faction has been trying to form a government with the support of the Congress and Janata Samajbadi Party, which appears to be its bid to punish Oli for his governance misadventures as well as unconstitutional move of dissolving the House.

The Janata Samajbadi Party, however, wants a host of issues addressed or at least a promise that its concerns would be addressed, if it were to support the Dahal-Nepal faction.

“We have been betrayed many times. When the constitution was promulgated, it was done so under the threat of the bullet. The issues of Madhesi and Aadibasis were ignored despite agreements signed by the then CPN-UML, Maoists and Nepali Congress,” said Mahato. “That was also kind of a regression. We have to remember those things also.”

Mahato also said that some of his party members, including Resham Chaudhary, are still behind bars.

“There are quite some issues like these which are our priority,” said Mahato.

Party chairman Mahantha Thakur, senior leader Mahato and Rajendra Shrestha, a member of the party’s executive committee, were present at Thursday morning meeting with Dahal and Nepal.