The gathering held in the capital was widely seen as an attempt by Thakur to start necessary homework either to a form a single party in Madhes or to forge an electoral alliance comprising all Madhes-based political parties.[break]
Madhesi People"s Rights Forum (MPRF) Chairman Upendra Yadav, Chairman of MPRF-Democratic Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, MPRF-Republican Chairman Rajkishor Yadav, TMDP-Nepal Chairman Mahendra Yadav and representatives from Sadbhawana Party (SP) were not present at the gathering.
MPRF-Republican, MPRF-Democratic, TMDP, TMDP-Nepal and SP are the constituent parties of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF).
Former minister Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta, Chairman of National Madhes Socialist Party Sharat Singh Bhandari, Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) chair Sarita Giri and Federal Sadbhawana Party Chairman Anil Kumar Jha, among other leaders attended the event.
A leader of TMDP-Nepal said that his party did not attend the event as the party is not in favor of a party or alliance to be formed under the leadership of Thakur. “Even he (Thakur) did not hold any discussion within UDMF regarding the gathering,” the leader told Republica on condition of anonymity.
SP General Secretary Manish Kumar Suman stated that they were not informed about the event. “And, why should we attend such a gathering as no senior leaders from UDMF came to express solidarity to the fast-unto-death staged by our party chairman Rajendra Mahato.” Suman added.
Mahato is currently undergoing treatment as police admitted him to Bir Hospital after his health deteriorated because of the hunger strike.
According to another Madhesi leader, only those leaders who want their parties to come under an electoral alliance led by Thakur, attended the event.
However, TMDP Joint General Secretary Jitendra Sonal said the absence of some Madhesi leaders does not mean that they are against an electoral alliance. “It was just a tea reception and was organized without any official agenda,” he added.
According to Sonal, leaders from 13 Madhesi parties were present at the event. “We had actually invited 21 Madhesi parties to the event,” he stated.
SP (Anandi Devi) chief Giri said the leaders present at the meeting stressed the need for forging alliance of all Madhesi parties in order to make the upcoming CA elections fruitful for us. “All leaders stated that Madhesi parties should move forward together as per the aspirations of the Madhesi peoples,” Giri added.
TMDP on April 26 had decided to take initiatives for the formation of an electoral alliance of all the Madhesi parties. The party"s Central Working Committee (CWC) had entrusted Chairman Thakur with the responsibility to bring other Madhes-based parties to an alliance.
Earlier, TMDP had taken initiatives for a merger with MPRF led by Upendra Yadav but it could not materialize following disagreement between the two parties regarding leadership and power-sharing in the central committee of the new party.
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