# Rastriya Janamorcha

Rastriya Janamorcha (Nepali: राष्ट्रिय जनमोर्चा, lit. 'National People's Front') is a political party in Nepal. It was originally founded in 1995 as the legal front of Communist Party of Nepal (Masal). Former Deputy Prime Minister, Chitra Bahdur KC is the chairman of the party.
It was re-founded again in 2006 after breaking away from Janamorcha Nepal and still acts as the legal front for the Mohan Bikram Singh led Communist Party of Nepal (Masal). The party remains as a strong political force mainly in Baglung and Pyuthan district.
The party advocates decentralization within the former unitary system.

## History
### Before formation (1991–1994)

The party contested the 1991 local elections as All Nepal Peasants Organization and contested in the 1994 legislative elections as All Nepal Rastriya Janamorcha.

### Merger and break away (2002–2008)

In 2002, the party merged with Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal the legal front of Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre) to form Janamorcha Nepal. Janamorcha Nepal acted as the legal front of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre-Masal). After Janamorcha Nepal joined the governing Seven Party Alliance in 2006, Chitra Bahadur KC broke away from the party to reclaim the name of Rastriya Janamorcha. The party held three seats in the Interim Legislature Parliament of Nepal.

### Constituent Assembly (2008–2015)

The party registered at the Election Commission of Nepal ahead of the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections. The party won four seats in the election.
In July 2010, the party expelled its General secretary Dilaram Acharya for breaking party discipline. He formed another party, Rastriya Janamorcha (Nepal) after his expulsion. The party won three seats in the 2013 Constituent Assembly election.

### Federal Nepal (2015–present)

After the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha joined the coalition government of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). This was the first time that the party had not been in opposition. Following this, party Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
The party contested the 2017 Nepalese local elections and won 186 seats in local government. The party won mayoral posts in Bareng Rural Municipality in Baglung, Jhimruk and Malarani Rural Municipalities in Pyuthan. Ahead of the 2017 legislative and provincial elections, the party joined the alliance of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre). The party won one seat to the Federal Parliament of Nepal but did not cross the three percent threshold to become a national party. The party also won three seats in the Provincial Assembly of Gandaki Province and one seat in the Provincial Assembly of Lumbini Province.
After the Nepalese political crisis in 2021, Rastriya Janamorcha stood in support of alliance led by Nepali Congress. It played major role in forming new government in Gandaki Province. It gave external support and confidence to central government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba. The party was given a seat in National Assembly and hence Tul Prasad B.K. was elected as first National Assemblian from the party.

## Electoral performance
### Legislative elections

| Election | Leader | Constituency votes | Constituency votes | Constituency votes | Party list votes | Party list votes | Party list votes | Seats | Seats | Position | Resulting government |
| Election | Leader | No. | % | % change | No. | % | % change | No. | +/- | Position | Resulting government |
| 1999 | Chitra Bahadur KC | 121,394 | 1.41 | | | | | 5 / 205 | | 5th | In opposition |
| 2008 | Chitra Bahadur KC | 93,578 | 0.91 | 0.50 | 106,224 | 0.99 | | 4 / 575 | 1 | 12th | In opposition |
| 2013 | Chitra Bahadur KC | 66,666 | 0.74 | 0.17 | 92,387 | 0.98 | 0.01 | 3 / 575 | 1 | 12th | In opposition |
| 2017 | Chitra Bahadur KC | 70,014 | 0.70 | 0.04 | 62,133 | 0.65 | 0.33 | 1 / 275 | 2 | 10th | In opposition |
| 2022 | Chitra Bahadur KC | 57,278 | 0.55 | 0.15 | 46,504 | 0.44 | 0.21 | 1 / 275 | | 12th | In opposition |
* 1 2 Represented as Independent for not reaching the 3% threshold

### Provincial elections
#### Gandaki

| Election Year | Party list votes | Party list votes | Party list votes | Seats | Seats | Position | Resulting government |
| Election Year | # | % | % change | # | +/- | Position | Resulting government |
| 2017 | 19,376 | 2.03 | | 3 / 60 | | 4th | In opposition |
| 2022 | 14,940 | 1.52 | 0.51 | 0 / 60 | 3 | 7th | Extra-parliamentary |

#### Lumbini

| Election Year | Party list votes | Party list votes | Party list votes | Seats | Seats | Position | Resulting government |
| Election Year | # | % | % change | # | +/- | Position | Resulting government |
| 2017 | 32,546 | 2.02 | | 1 / 87 | | 6th | In opposition |
| 2022 | 32,647 | 1.73 | 0.29 | 1 / 87 | | 10th | In opposition |

## Leadership
### Chairmen

* Chitra Bahadur K.C., 1999–2002 and 2006–present

### General secretaries

* Nawaraj Subedi, 1999–2002
* Dilaram Acharya, 2006–2010
* Santa Bahadur Nepali, 2011–2016
* Janak Raj Sharma, 2016–2021
* Manoj Bhatta, 2021-present

## List of Members of Parliament

List of Rastriya Sabha members from Rastriya Janamorcha :
| No. | Name | Province | Quota | Appointment date | Retirement date |
| 1. | Tul Prasad B.K. | Lumbini | Dalit | January 2021 | January 2027 |
List of Pratinidhi Sabha members from Rastriya Janamorcha
| No. | Name | Constituency | Appointment date |
| 1. | Chitra Bahadur K.C. | Baglung 1 | 2022 |

## Sister organisations

* All Nepal Trade Union Congress
* All Nepal Women's Association
* ANNISU (6th)
* All Nepal Janatati Conference
* Jatiya Samata Samaj
* All Nepal Democratic Youth Association
* Raktim Sanskritik Pariwar
* Akhil Nepal Buddhijibi Sangh
* All Nepal Teachers' Association