KATHMANDU: Chairman of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Upendra Yadav has proposed power-sharing to the Nepali Congress (NC) in Province 2.

Yadav put the proposal to NC Vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi in a meeting held between them on Friday morning, Nidhi’s press assistant Ramji Dahal confirmed.

They explored power-sharing possibilities in Province 2 to expand the cooperation between the two sides. Twelve lawmakers aligning with Yadav have signed the petition to make Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba the Prime Minister.

Lal Babu Raut, close to Yadav, is the Chief Minister in Province 2. Yadav reached out to the NC as division in the JSP is likely to affect the provincial government led by CM Raut.

JSP Co-chairs Mahantha Thakur and Yadav have effectively polarized the party, with Thakur backing UML Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and Yadav working hand-in-hand with the opposition alliances.

Nidhi said he took Yadav’s proposal positively and was open to further discussions.

JSP has 55 members in the 107-member Province 2 Assembly (PA). Yadav faction (erstwhile Samajwadi Party) has 30 members and Thakur’s faction (Rastriya Janata Party) has 25 members. The UML has 21, Maoist Center 11 and NC 19.