When the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party leaders called on Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba last week, they wanted to learn if the party will be incorporated into the ruling coalition and if so when.

Party chair Mahantha Thakur and senior leader Rajendra Mahato, among others, had urged Deuba to give a decision at the earliest possible. It has been a week, but they have not heard anything from the prime minister or the coalition, according to leaders.

As the ruling coalition itself has been facing difficulties to finalise seat-sharing arrangements, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) leaders say they will now explore other options.

“As the ruling coalition is squabbling over seats with each constituent demanding more seats, we wonder if they could accommodate us,” said Keshav Jha, an LSP leader. “It looks like chances of our party joining the ruling alliance are slim.”

It was Deuba who was initially positive about bringing the LSP into the coalition fold, at least for two reasons—preempting its alliance with the CPN-UML and increasing the coalition’s poll prospects in the Madhesh region.

The LSP and the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) are two prominent forces in the country with their strong base in Madhesh. The JSP is currently a partner in the ruling coalition.

Some believe the JSP’s reluctance could have prompted the delay in the decision on whether to accommodate the LSP in the coalition. But even other partners in the coalition like the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Soicalist) may also not be keen on bringing the LSP into the coalition, as the entry of one more party could mean shrinking the pie of the seats further.

The ruling coalition partners are currently struggling hard to distribute the 165 seats that are available for the House of Representatives under the direct election system.

According to Jha, if the Maoist Centre has no objections, the LSP can easily be part of the ruling coalition.

“The party is left with four alternatives—make one more effort to join the ruling coalition, explore options to join hands with the CPN-UML, form an alliance with other parties including the JSP, the CK Raut-led Janamat Party, and Resham Chaudhary’s Nagarik Unmukti Party for fighting the elections on its own.”

According to party leaders, Mahato has been given the responsibility of holding deliberations with Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

They say during earlier talks with Deuba, he offered the party the equal number of seats they currently have in the incumbent Parliament.

In the current House of Representatives, the JSP has 17 seats while the LSP has 13 seats. Similarly, the JSP has 39 members in the Madhesh Provincial Assembly while the LSP has 16. The Madhesh Provincial Assembly is 107-member strong where 64 members are elected under the direct election system and 43 under the proportional representation system.

Nepal will vote on November 20 to elect 275 members for the House of Representatives—165 under the direct election system and 110 under the proportional representation category. Similarly, 330 members will be elected for seven provincial assemblies under the direct election system and 220 under the proportional representation category.

LSP chief whip Umashankar Argariya says in case the ruling coalition does not agree to include them, they will explore other options such as an electoral alliance with the UML.

“We have been demanding more seats than the current number in Parliament. If cooperation is not possible with the ruling coalition, we will obviously explore options,” Argariya told the Post.

Since both the LSP and the JSP do not have a strong vote base in other regions except in Madhesh and the upcoming elections will test their relevance and strength.

Laxman Lal Karna, an LSP leader, says time has arrived for them to make their strategy clear for the upcoming polls.

“Other parties also have not finalised their moves and strategies; seat-sharing discussions are also underway,” said Karna. “If one door is shut for us, we need to open other doors.

A meeting of the top leaders of the party on Wednesday decided to take the ongoing discussions on joining the ruling coalition to a logical conclusion at the earliest.

Insiders say the party is also mulling the possibility of joining other alliances, considering the pros and cons of such a move.

Congress leaders say there has not been much progress on the LSP’s entry into the coalition.

“I don’t have detailed information on the matter as Deuba himself is in discussion with LSP leaders,” said Bimalendra Nidhi, a Nepali Congress leader. “I believe that the party should be included in the ruling coalition.”