In a day marked by protests, political wrangling and heightened security, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) provincial assembly member Jitendra Sonal has been appointed Chief Minister of the Madhesh province.

Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari appointed Sonal to the post late in the evening on Wednesday with the backing of 56 lawmakers from five political parties. Sonal is scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy on Thursday.

Sonal's appointment came after days of political wrangling, as the Congress–UML alliance sought to prevent his rise, arguing that the Janamat Party—one of Sonal’s backers—had already split.

The appointment followed the resignation of Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh, after which the Provincial Head had invited parties to stake their claim to form a new government.

Sonal submitted his claim backed by five parties—Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Janamat Party, CPN (Maoist Centre), the LSP and CPN (Unified Socialist)—under Article 168(2) of Nepal's constitution.

However, both the Congress and UML opposed the appointment, insisting it was unconstitutional. UML leader Saroj Yadav and Congress parliamentary leader Krishna Prasad Yadav urged the Province Head not to recognise Sonal’s claim, saying Janamat no longer existed as a unified party.

According to Congress leader Yadav, Sonal’s claim was supported by 56 lawmakers, including 13 from Janamat. But two Janamat members—Satish Kumar Singh and Tribhuvan Sah—had formally joined the newly formed Janaswaraj Party earlier that day by signing documents at the Provincial Election Office in Janakpur. The Congress–UML alliance argued this invalidated Janamat’s support for Sonal.

Following Sonal’s appointment, Congress and UML lawmakers protested in front of the Provincial Head’s Office, chanting slogans against what they called an “unconstitutional act.” Provincial Head Bhandari’s office, however, said it had received no official notification from the Election Commission about Janamat’s split and thus had to accept the claim supported by 56 lawmakers.

The political chaos in Janakpur was visible throughout the day. As Singh and Sah arrived at the election office to switch allegiance, Janamat Party cadres protested outside, chanting “Down with the corrupt chief minister.” Congress and UML cadres, meanwhile, shouted slogans in Singh’s defence. Police had to escort the two lawmakers into the building, where they signed to join Janaswaraj.

Speaking to reporters, Singh accused Janamat leaders of “kidnapping” lawmakers to block defections. “Since morning, they’ve kept lawmakers under confinement and threatened them,” he said. “This is undemocratic and against political ethics.” Singh hinted that more lawmakers could soon join Janaswaraj, calling the split a “reaction to authoritarian tendencies” within Janamat.

Province Head Bhandari had given parties until 4 pm on Wednesday to stake claims for government formation. At 10 am, Sonal and leaders of the five supporting parties reached her office with a joint proposal.

Congress and UML leaders filed a separate claim soon after, led by Krishna Prasad Yadav of the Congress. Both claims reportedly bore the signature of Mahesh Prasad Yadav, leader of the Janamat Party. Provincial officials said Sonal was appointed after Mahesh Yadav submitted a formal letter confirming his support for the five-party alliance.

Even after the appointment, Congress and UML lawmakers shouted slogans and demanded that the Provincial Head revoke Sonal’s designation. Earlier, the two parties had tried to reestablish their alliance with outgoing Chief Minister Singh, hoping to secure his support after the Janamat split. But Singh declined, saying he remained aligned with Sonal.

Janamat Party splits, Janaswaraj formed

The political crisis deepened with a formal split of the CK Raut–led Janamat Party, as its disgruntled faction announced a new party—the Janaswaraj Party—on Tuesday. The new outfit is chaired by Dipak Kumar Sah, who was expelled from Janamat in August for “anti-party activities.” Sah was formerly Janamat’s vice-chair.

Janaswaraj has appointed Suraj Singh, Surendra Narayan Yadav and Shambhunath Sah as vice-chairmen and Hemlata Devi, Sunil Kumar Yadav and Sanjay Prasad Yadav as secretaries. The Election Commission has recognised Janaswaraj and instructed it to complete the remaining registration process.