Former minister Jitendra Narayan Dev has joined the Nepali Congress (NC) within a month after leaving CPN (UML). He announced his departure from UML on February 2 and joined NC on February 17.

Switching between NC, Madhesh-centered parties, and UML has been normal for Dev. He has changed parties eight times so far. On 2 July 2023, he had left NC and returned to UML. At that time, he said, “Having been involved in leftist politics for a long time, I felt like returning to it in the later stage of my life.”

However, he did not remain long in UML. When he left UML, this time, on February 2, Dev raised serious questions about the role of party chairman KP Sharma Oli. He argued that he disagreed with the party’s ideology, policy, and conduct, saying it was being driven toward individualism and personality worship and being operated in an authoritarian and discriminatory manner. Previously, when he had rejoined UML, he had praised Chairman Oli for making the party powerful and confident. “I stayed outside UML for 17 years, and I regret that. But I learned many things while being outside. Now I pledge to unite UML and move forward,” Dev had said. “Make me not a leader, but a worker.”

After leaving the student federation in 1985, he became president of the Nepal National Youth Federation. During the Panchayat era, CPN (Manandhar group) later became CPN (Democratic) in the multi-party system. That party is now known as CPN (United).

Jitendra Narayan’s political journey began on 13 April 1973 with the CPN (Manandhar group) led by Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar. Eight years later, around 1981, he became acting president of the Nepal National Student Federation, the student wing of the CPN (Manandhar group).  A year later, he was elected as president. After leaving the student federation in 1985, he became president of the Nepal National Youth Federation. During the Panchayat era, CPN (Manandhar group) later became CPN (Democratic) in the multi-party system. That party is now known as CPN (United).

Dev and his team from CPN (Democratic) joined UML on 5 December 1992. Although leaders and cadres including Dev entered UML under the leadership of Madan Thapa, only Sita Nandan Rai and Jitendra Narayan were appointed as central committee members that same day. When UML split on 5 March 1998, Dev joined CPN (ML). Later, on 15 February 2002, along with CPN (ML) General Secretary Bam Dev Gautam, he returned to UML.

He stated that his contributions were valued only by the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik) and the Nepali Congress. He served as General Secretary of the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik), which was formed after a split from the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum. In the 2013 second Constituent Assembly, he was a proportional representation lawmaker from the Loktantrik Forum. Likewise, in 2017, NC made him a National Assembly member. During that period, he also served twice as a minister.

Dev and his team from CPN (Democratic) joined UML on 5 December 1992. Although leaders and cadres including Dev entered UML under the leadership of Madan Thapa, only Sita Nandan Rai and Jitendra Narayan were appointed as central committee members that same day.

After the first Constituent Assembly election in 2008, he left UML and joined the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum Nepal led by Upendra Yadav. In that election, UML was reduced to 33 seats under the first-past-the-post system but secured 70 seats under proportional representation. Although UML selected 13 lawmakers from the Madhesi community under proportional representation, Dev was not among them.

After UML did not make him a Constituent Assembly member, he joined the Forum just one month after the election. However, in 2007, when the Forum split and the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik) was formed, he joined that faction. In 2017, when the Loktantrik Forum merged with the Nepali Congress, Dev also entered NC which made him a National Assembly member in 2017.

After completing his term as a National Assembly member on 3 March 2024, Dev once again returned to UML. After Gagan Kumar Thapa became the President of NC through a special general convention, he is again attracted toward NC. He says, “I have entered Nepali Congress for good, abandoning communist politics, because I believe a renewed Nepali Congress will also transform the country. It will bring progressive and democratic transformation in the country’s economic and political sphere. I have also worked in Nepali Congress for six years in the past.”