The politics of Nepal functions within the framework of a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and their cabinet, while legislative power is vested in the Parliament.
The Nepali Congress is the oldest social democratic political party in Nepal and the largest party in the country. The party has 870,106 members as of the party's 14th general convention in December 2021 making them the largest party by membership in Nepal. In June 2023, the party started online membership since the emergence of youth leaders in vital post to bring youths into the party. The party is led by former prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba since the party's thirteenth general convention in 2016. The party won 89 seats in the 2022 general election and is currently the largest parliamentary group in the House of Representatives.
Madheshi people is a term used for Nepalis comprising several ethnic groups living in the Madhesh Province, and the Terai region of Koshi Province and Lumbini Province. It has also been used as a political pejorative term by the Pahari people of Nepal to refer to Neapalese with a non-Nepali language as their mother tongue, regardless of their place of birth or residence. The term Madheshi became a widely recognised name for people of Madhesh but it has also been used for people with an Indian cultural background married to Madhesis only after 1990. Madheshi people comprise various cultural groups such as Hindus, Muslims, Marwaris, Brahmin and Dalit caste groups as well as Nepalese ethnic groups like Maithils, Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Bajjika speaking people and the native indigenous people of Madhesh. In recent times, government papers, some politicians and journalists use the term for all Nepalis living in southern Nepal.
Constituent Assembly elections were held in Nepal on 10 April 2008, having been postponed from earlier dates of 7 June 2007 and 22 November 2007. The Constituent Assembly was planned to draft a new constitution and therefore decide, amongst other things, on the issue of federalism. The number of eligible voters was around 17.5 million. The Constituent Assembly was originally set to have a term of two years.
Upendra Yadav is a Nepalese politician who has twice served as Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal and also served as the chairman of the People's Socialist Party, Nepal from 2020 until 2023.
The Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party was a political party in Nepal, formed by former Minister and Nepali Congress national treasurer Mahantha Thakur. The party was once the biggest Madhesh-based party with a strong base in the Terai region of Nepal. The foundation of the party was announced on December 27, 2007. The party was founded by Thakur with a popular slogan "Mare to Mukti, jiye to Madhesh" meaning if I will live, I will fight for Madhesh and if I will get salvation. The party had four members in the interim parliament, including Thakur.
The Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal (MJFN), or the Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal, was a political party in Nepal. It was initially not a political party as such but a political advocacy movement demanding ethnic self-determination rights with the formation of a Madhes autonomous region for Teraibasi people, an election system based on proportional representation, and the setting-up of a federal republic in Nepal. The MJFN includes former leaders of other political parties like the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML).
Rajendra Mahato is a Nepalese politician, who had been serving as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development since 4 June 2021 but was removed from the post by the Supreme Court on 22 June 2021, making his tenure of just 18 days the shortest till date. He was the parliamentary party leader of the People's Socialist Party, Nepal, although the status matter of conflict within the party. Though weak today due to continuous party change, he once was a well known leader of Terai-Madhesh based political alliance. Now, he is thought to move to Sarlahi 4. He has previously contested the election from Sarlahi and Dhanusha where his party could win no local level head position and got clean swept in recent election.
United Democratic Madhesi Front was a political alliance of Madhesh-based political parties in Nepal created for the Madhes Movement. It was formed in 2008 by Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal, Nepal Sadbhavana Party and Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party.
Hridayesh Tripathi is a Nepalese politician, from the People's Progressive Party. He is also the current chairman of the party.
The Nepal Sadbhavana Party was a political party in Nepal that worked for rights of the Madhesi people and discriminated communities and groups of Nepal.
The Terai Madhesh Sadbhavana Party Nepal was a political party in Nepal from 2013 to 2017. It was led by Mahendra Raya Yadav. It was formed through the merger of Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party Nepal, a splinter group of Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party and Rastriya Sadbhavana Party, a splinter group of Sadbhavana Party.
The Rastriya Janata Party, Nepal, abbr. RJPN was the fourth-largest political party in Nepal after the Nepali Congress, the Nepal Communist Party and the Samajbadi Party, Nepal. It was formed on 21 April 2017 after the merger of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, led by the Mahantha Thakur, Terai Madhes Sadbhawana Party, led by the Mahendra Raya Yadav, Sadbhavana Party, led by the Rajendra Mahato, Nepal Sadbhawana Party, led by the Anil Kumar Jha, Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Republican), led by Rajkishor Yadav and Rastriya Madhesh Samajwadi Party, led by Sharat Singh Bhandari. The party was founded with the ideology of democratic system.
Madhesh Movement was a political movement launched by various political parties, especially those based in Madhes, for equal rights, dignity and identity of Madhesis Tharus, Muslims and Janjati groups in Nepal. In nearly a decade, Nepal witnessed three Madhesh Movements - the first Madhesh Movement erupted in 2007, the second Madhesh Movement in 2008 and the third Madhesh Movement in 2015. Ramesh Mahato was Madhesi martyr in 2007 at Lahan.
Sheikh Abul Kalam Azad better known by his nickname Phool Babu is a high-profile Nepalese politician, Social Worker and Minister of State for Energy, Irrigation and Water Supply in Madhesh Province. Previously he served as Minister of State for Social Development in Madhesh Province. He won second time in a row Member of the Legislative Assembly of Rautahat District Constituency 4(B) Pradesh Sabha. He is also former VDC chairman(Nepali: अध्यक्ष) of Gamhariya, Nepal.
Mahendra Ray Yadav is a Nepali politician, former minister and a member of the House of Representatives of the federal parliament of Nepal. He is the current central committee chairman of Nepal Socialist Party.
The People's Socialist Party, Nepal, also known as Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal is the eighth largest political party in Nepal. Since the 2022 local election, the party has been limited to stand only as the third largest party of Madhesh Province after the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) respectively.
The 2021 split in the People's Socialist Party, Nepal (PSP-N) was a factional dispute amongst the leadership over party control beginning in May and culminating in July, with the faction led by former Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav succeeding over the faction of former First Chairman Mahantha Thakur. The dispute was settled as a result of a decision of the Election Commission, which handed control to Yadav's faction, forcing the departure of the Thakur faction from the PSP-N and requiring the formation of a new party.
The Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal (Loktantrik) was a political party in Nepal. It existed as one of the important political force during the constituent assembly. Later the party merged with several other parties to become the largest Madhesh/Tharuhath based party, Nepal Loktantrik Forum.
