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The Ashok Rai-led Janata Samajbadi Party acquired a party registration certificate from the Election Commission (EC).

The Election Commission handed the party registration certification to Rai on Sunday evening.

A meeting of the commissioners of the Election Commission held on Sunday gave recognition to the JSP as a party in accordance with the Political Party Act 2073 and Rule 5 of the Regulation on Political Parties Act 2074.

Earlier on Sunday, Rai along with seven lawmakers had filed an application at the Election Commission for the registration of a new party.

The new party led by Rai has seven lawmakers including Pradeep Yadav, Renu Yadav, Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, Birendra Mahato, Ranju Kumari, Hasina Khan and Sushila Shrestha.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has asserted that the government has left no stone unturned for the rescue and repatriation of Nepali citizens from the war-torn countries.

Speaking in a meeting of the Federalism Consolidation and National Concerns Committee today, he said that they have demanded the exact number of Nepalis working in the Russian Army, information on their status, repatriation of the bodies of those killed in the war, compensation to be provided to the victims' families and returning the Nepalis in the Russian Army by rescinding the agreement to that connection with the Russian government.

The DPM and foreign minister said the government has the information that the Nepalis are recruited in the Russian Army, several of them have been injured and are in distress, several Nepalis have been captured by Ukrainian Army and many have been killed, reiterating that the government was making all diplomatic efforts for their rescue and return to Nepal.

"By agreeing on compensation, the Russian government has now started the process for the same. We have already forwarded the necessary documents for that," he said, adding - "We have demanded that the Nepalis recruited in the Russian Army be sent back to Nepal at the earliest.”

Minister Shrestha said that he is in continuous talks with the Russian foreign minister and is also trying to talk directly with the Russian Defense Ministry. "We have also demanded the return of those who are held as POW by Ukraine. For this, we are talking with the Ministry of Defense along with the Foreign Minister of Russia," he said.

The DPM and foreign minister mentioned that every possible efforts are being made for the return of Nepali citizens from war-torn countries. "If necessary, we have even offered to go to Russia and hold talks," Foreign Minister Shrestha said.

Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha informed that Bipin Joshi has been captured by Hamas, but he has not been officially informed about Joshi's condition.

According to him, he is requesting the release of Joshi from the country that is mediating for peace between the war-torn countries.

"In the war between Israel and Hamas, our opinion so far is that Bipin Joshi is under the control of Hamas. But information about Joshi's situation has not been received formally and through official channels, and we have not been able to get him released," he said.

Responding to the questions raised during the meeting by the members of the committee about the Nepal-India border issue and EPG, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shrestha informed that the Susta and Kalapani border disputes are still under formal discussion.

He said that all dimensions of Nepal-India relations should be resolved through diplomatic discussions.

Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha informed the committee that homework is being done to open 14 trade checkpoints between Nepal and China and discussions are underway to create an economic corridor. "Relationships with China have progressed in the economic diplomacy realm, the basis of relations with China has become stronger," he said.

In the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha said that the government, public bodies, leadership and political parties have been requested to follow the diplomatic code of conduct. He also informed the meeting that it is necessary to enhance the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the meeting about Nepal's foreign policy, the works carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and subordinate agencies, economic diplomacy, and problems and future action plans, Minister Shrestha also said that they are going to create a separate department to emphasize on economic diplomacy.

He said that provinces and municipalities cannot establish foreign relations by themselves, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assigning its representative to the provincial government.

The Ministry has established diplomatic relations with 182 countries so far. Currently, Nepal has 30 embassies in different countries, and permanent missions in New York in the United States, Vienna in Austria and Geneva in Switzerland, and seven Consulate Generals.

Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal said that the party will not split on the basis of ‘illegal’ application.

The Janata Samajbadi made this thing clear by issuing a statement on Monday after Ashok Rai along with nine lawmakers filed an application at the Election Commission for the registration of a new party.

Party spokesperson Manish Suman said that the party’s attention has been drawn towards the news about the party split in the media.

He claimed that the majority of the central members of the party are together.

“At a time when the Parliament session has already been called and the ordinance pertaining to party split has also been scrapped and most of the central members are committed to the party, none can split the party on the basis of ‘illegal’ application in this situation,” he said.

He urged all the central members, leaders and cadres not to go after the rumors.

Earlier on Sunday, Rai along with Pradeep Yadav, Renu Yadav, Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, Birendra Mahato, Ranju Kumari, Hasina Khan and Sushila Shrestha among nine lawmakers had filed an application at the Election Commission for the registration of a new party.

Lawmaker Pradeep Yadav said that the new party’s name has been proposed as Janata Samaj Party.

Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that consensus, cooperation and dialogue will be necessary to protect the country from instability and to strengthen the federal democratic republic.

In a press conference organized by the Nepal Press Union Kanchanpur chapter in Mahendranagar today, he noted that there is dissatisfaction within the CPN-UML in the current government and expressed his own doubts about the present ruling power equation.

"There is a strong opinion within the Nepali Congress and UML that big parties should form the government together," he said, adding that people are also of the opinion that big parties should take the country in the right direction. However, there is no concrete progress about power sharing between Congress and UML, he said.

Even if it is not for running the government, cooperation and discussion between major parties is necessary for leading the country towards stability, to protect the constitution and to strengthen democracy, he said.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'himself has expressed a positive opinion about investigation into cooperative sectors and said that the Congress is also positive about it.

NC leader Lekhak said that the Congress will always stand firm in its stance of forming a parliamentary probe committee to investigate fraud charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

"We have not demanded resignation, but investigation,” he said, adding “He is confident that the matter will be addressed before the Parliament meeting scheduled for May 10.”