The planned merger between the Janamat Party and the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) has become uncertain. Leaders from both parties have confirmed that the unification process has been postponed until further notice.

The formal declaration of unity was scheduled to be made on April 30 at the Nepal Academy in Kathmandu. However, the process was disrupted at the last moment following the arrest of NUP patron Resham Chaudhary, based on an ‘unauthorised arrest warrant’ issued from the Supreme Court.

Chaudhary was arrested from the venue where the merger announcement was due to happen with prominent leaders from both sides present there.

Police arrested Chaudhary showing a letter signed by a Supreme Court officer, Mahiman Singh Bista. Although he was released later in the day following another letter from the Supreme Court stating that the first one was unauthorised, the unity process was postponed immediately.

While the unification has been put on hold, a new date has not yet been fixed. Leaders of both parties nonetheless said, considering that the party cadres were already in Kathmandu for a party merger, that the unification would be announced before the supporters returned to their home districts.

However, almost a week after the disruption of the merger process, leaders of both sides have said they will review the circumstances surrounding Chaudhary’s arrest before proceeding with the merger. According to Abdul Khan, vice-chair of the Janamat Party, the arrest has hampered the unification effort.

“Unification will certainly happen, but Chaudhary’s arrest has delayed the announcement by a few days,” said Khan. He added that both parties would first review the incident and then take the process forward.

“Our unification was disrupted due to Chaudhary’s arrest. Although he has been released, the incident is yet to be properly studied and analysed,” he said.

Both sides will decide on the unification announcement event only after knowing the government’s clarification on Chaudhary’s arrest. “We suspect such an incident could repeat if the two parties go for unification. Therefore, we first want the government’s answer on the matter,” Khan said.

Upon Chaudhary’s release from police custody on April 30 after five hours in Dillibazar Prison, CK Raut, the Janamat Party chairman, suspected high-level political involvement in the incident to foil the unification of the two regional parties, which emerged on the national political scene from the 2022 general elections.

Lawmakers of both parties on Tuesday protested in a meeting of the House of Representatives, demanding an explanation on why Chaudhary was arrested.

Before the protest, NUP chair Ranjita Shrestha addressed the meeting and called for an impartial investigation into Chaudhary's arrest. Following her remarks, lawmakers from the NUP and the Janamat Party stood from their seats in a sign of protest.

However, they took their seats after Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire informed the House that the home minister would respond to the matter on Thursday.

The Janamat and the NUP parties have six and four seats, respectively, in the lower house.

The two forces had already agreed that the unified outfit would be named Nagarik Janamat Party, with a bamboo basket as the election symbol. CK Raut was set to be the executive chairperson, Chaudhary the patron, and Shrestha the vice-chairperson of the unified organisation.

It had also been agreed that the central committee would consist of 700 members, with equal representation from both parties. Similar agreements had been made for other committees and party positions.

Both central committees have already endorsed the unification proposal. However, the situation following the April 30 incident required further discussion, leaders said.

“Chaudhary’s arrest on the very day of unification can’t be taken lightly,” said Janamat Party spokesperson Sharad Singh Yadav. “We will all prepare again and unite soon.”

A leader from the Janamat Party even claimed that the unification process might be deferred till the next hearing of Chaudhary's case, which is scheduled for June 18 in the Supreme Court.

A case has been filed at the top court against the pardon granted by President Ramchandra Paudel to Chaudhary, who had been serving a jail term after being convicted in the 2015 Tikapur killings.

On August 24, 2015, there were violent protests during a Tharuhat movement, which demanded a separate province for Tharu-majority areas, and the Akhanda Sudurpaschim movement called for an undivided far west. This was right before the promulgation of the constitution of Nepal in September of that year. On the day, at least nine individuals, including Nepal Police SSP Laxman Neupane, police inspector Keshav Bohara and a two-year-old toddler, had died.

Chaudhary, who was found to be the main perpetrator of the crime, was sentenced to life imprisonment by courts from the district level up to the Supreme Court.

However, on the government's recommendation, President Paudel granted him a pardon on Republic Day, May 28, 2023.

The day after Chaudhary was pardoned, Sharda Kadayat, the wife of police inspector Bohora, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government decision.

“There is also the possibility that the unification process will start after the hearing process,” a Janamat Party leader told the Post on condition of anonymity.

NUP leaders claim that a new date for unification has not yet been decided due to the unresolved issue of power sharing. Apart from the top three positions, there is growing opinion within both parties that all other roles should also be clearly defined before inching towards unification.

According to senior leaders, the unification cannot move forward without a prior agreement on sharing responsibilities across all key positions. Khan, the vice-chair of Janamat Party, acknowledged the claim of NUP leaders.

But Ranjita Shrestha, the NUP chair, however said the next hearing on Resham Chaudhary’s case has nothing to do with party unification.

“It has been derailed due to my health issues. Once I fully recover, we will proceed with the party merger,” Shrestha said.

After having a problem in the small intestine, Shrestha was hospitalised on April 30, the day the party unification was scheduled. She was discharged after four days.