SINDHULIGADHI / MAHOTTARI —

In one of the most secretive and controversial political ceremonies in Nepal’s provincial history, Saroj Kumar Yadav, the newly appointed Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, was sworn in late at night—not in the provincial capital Janakpurdham, but nearly 47 kilometers away, at a roadside resort named Panash Cottage along the BP Highway in Bardibas, Mahottari.

This was no ordinary swearing-in. Observers describe it as a “constitutional underground operation”, allegedly mapped out from former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Gundu.

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The “Guerrilla-Style” Oath

According to eyewitnesses, the ceremony was conducted with extreme secrecy—no official invitation, no media presence, and no opposition members.

The oath was administered by Province Head Sumitra Subedi Bhandari, a known UML loyalist appointed directly by then–Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Her presence reinforced claims that Oli continues to control provincial politics through remote command, bypassing constitutional norms.

Minutes after the oath, the Governor reportedly left the venue abruptly, deepening suspicions of a covert operation.

Legal scholars in Janakpur have described the event as a “guerrilla-style oath-taking,” executed in violation of democratic transparency.

A senior Nepali Congress leader quipped,

“This isn’t governance—it’s political smuggling. Holding an oath in the hills and forests instead of the capital isn’t democracy, it’s Oli-cracy.”

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Geography of Suspicion

Panash Cottage lies close to Sindhuligadhi Ridge, a historic site where Nepali forces once repelled foreign invasions—a symbol of national sovereignty.

Ironically, critics now call the same area “the new battlefield where democracy was ambushed.”

Local residents mocked the decision:

“If they had gone a little higher, they would have reached Sindhuligadhi—where Nepal once defended its sovereignty. Today, Oli has traded that sovereignty for party power.”

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The Shadow of Oli

Political analysts say every step of the event bears Oli’s unmistakable imprint:

• The Governor’s appointment during his premiership,

• The dissolution of the previous coalition government,

• The invocation of Article 168(3) to install a minority UML administration,

• And now, a midnight oath far from the provincial capital.

As one observer put it,

“This isn’t the government of Madhesh—it’s the branch office of Gundu.”

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Legal Storm Ahead

Constitutional experts warn that such a “constitutional bypass” may not survive judicial scrutiny.

Opposition parties are already preparing to file a petition before the Constitutional Bench, challenging both the Governor’s decision and the legitimacy of the new Chief Minister.

“This is not just a political maneuver—it’s an insult to federalism and an erosion of democratic decency,” said one opposition lawyer.

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Roadside Democracy

Madhesh Province now finds itself once again in deep political uncertainty.

Where once democracy was celebrated in assembly halls, it is now performed in roadside motels under the cover of darkness.

Citizens in Janakpur are left asking a haunting question—

“Is this the rule of the Constitution, or KP Oli’s underground experiment in invisible power?”