Even though all seven provincial assemblies have elected their chief ministers who are now busy picking ministers, people appear more curious about the composition of the new Cabinet in the Madhesh province.

That is so for a number of reasons. First, there has been a significant change in the power equation in Madhesh after the November 20 polls with previously dominant regional forces losing ground and the emergence of a new party. Second, the CPN-UML, which was considered anti-Madheshi force, has become the largest party in the province.

Besides, Madhesh has been the most vocal advocate for the strengthening of the provinces and proper implementation of federalism. But does it stand out among the seven provinces for the same? Has it really put in more effort to strengthen the province, compared to the six others?

Madhesh watchers are divided.

Madhesh proved itself different at least in naming the province, said Tula Narayan Shah, a political analyst who has been following Madhesh politics for decades. “The Madhesh provincial assembly, in the first tenure, was successful in naming the province aptly, reflecting its identity,” he said.

Shah believes federalism was brought in for the preservation and protection of the identity of the communities living in the region. In addition to the name, he said the provincial assembly’s formulation of some acts and bills, establishment of a university and a medical institute are the “bases providing stability to the provincial structure”.

The Madhesh-based leaders have undoubtedly been the most vocal about strengthening provinces, and by extension, federalism.

Although different political forces had in the past demanded a federal system, it was only after the Madheshi agitation in 2007 that the political leadership in Kathmandu was compelled to agree to the demand.

While addressing the federal parliament’s first sitting on Monday, the two Madhesh-based party leaders underscored the implementation of federalism as a must, mostly by devolving powers to the provinces.

Janamat Party chair CK Raut said: “I am a living evidence to prove that federalism is a must for the country’s integrity.”

Meanwhile, Janata Samajbadi parliamentary party leader Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav highlighted how the country had failed to devolve rights to provinces, as a result of which the provinces are struggling.

Madhesh province’s former chief minister Lal Babu Raut, along with some Cabinet members, staged a sit-in outside the Provincial head’s official residence in August 2022, demanding an immediate adjustment of the police force. The leaders questioned the intent of the federal government after a delay in implementing the Police Adjustment Act that was endorsed by the President on February 11, 2020.

But if the governance record so far is anything to go by, federalism expert Khim Lal Devkota says, Madhesh lags far behind in good governance. In addition to bad governance, many reports also suggest rampant corruption there. “We should focus on governance and implementation of federalism at the grassroots level in Karnali and Madhesh provinces,” he told the Post.

Devkota said Madhesh-based leaders also need to focus on improving governance while claiming their rights. “It is not enough to say the provinces lack rights, power and resources.”

Janamat Party central committee member BP Sah, however, defended the provinces, saying that given their limited rights and powers, implementation of federalism at the grassroots was proving difficult. “Madhesh and Karnali were already far behind on every indicator of development much before the advent of federalism. We will fail to draw the right conclusion if we assess developmental activities in a province like Madhesh through the lens of Kathmandu and other major cities,” said Sah.

After the country adopted a federal structure with the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal 2015, state powers have been distributed between the three tiers of government. The federal set-up now has seven provinces and 753 local governments.

But observers point to a serious problem in the transfer of rights and power, which have mostly accumulated at the centre or at the local level.

Shah, the analyst, said successive Madhesh governments have failed in the functional part, although some good initiatives have been taken. “Initiatives such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao [save the girl child, educate her] and the Civil Service Act, which mandates 50 percent participation of women, are laudable. Women and daughters in Madhesh have long endured male domination,” he added.

But the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign itself got into controversy and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) raided the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers in September 2021. The manufacturer of the bicycles bought under the campaign could not be found and the cycle prices had been manipulated.

Shah said the previous Madhesh provincial government’s performance was lacklustre also in terms of budget utilisation.

The capital expenditure of Madhesh province was second lowest for the fiscal year 2078-79. The capital expenditure of Madhesh was 60.99 percent while Karnali’s was 60.07 percent during the fiscal year.

The Madhesh-based Janata Samajbadi Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party did not fare well in the last month’s polls. A new political force—Janamat Party—emerged strong with six seats in the House of Representatives and 13 seats in the provincial assembly, hinting at Madheshi people’s frustration with the traditional Madhesh-based parties.

The Madhesh-based parties had emerged from the various Madhesh movements, which laid the ground for the country’s transformation into a federal structure. However, they are now being accused of focusing only on exploiting the resources, rather than strengthening the federal system and making people feel closer to the administration, say observers.

Shah said that “the big parties at the centre have been exploiting federal resources. Madhesh-based parties have been doing the same in the provinces. They are not focusing on strengthening the federal structure.”

On Wednesday, Janata Samajbadi Party’s Saroj Kumar Yadav was appointed the chief minister of Madhesh. Earlier governments in the province had repeatedly tussled with the centre, demanding more rights for provinces.

However they themselves had failed to impress the general public with good governance and delivery. Now, all eyes are on the new Madhesh government.