Federal Democratic Front Faces Crisis Amidst Leadership Disputes and Unfulfilled Unity Talks

Kathmandu. The Federal Democratic Front, formed by the merger of Terai Madhes-centric parties, is in crisis. The front is led by Mahanth Thakur, patron of the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal. However, other parties have not shown much interest in the front.< /p>

Although patron Thakur calls meetings at his old party office in Babarmahal from time to time, other party leaders have not shown much interest. A leader of the front said, 'Sometimes the chairman of the Rastriya Mukti Party, Rajendra Mahato, attends the meeting. Other leaders have stopped even coming to the meetings.'< /p>

Since the elections were completed on Falgun 21, the front's meetings have been held repeatedly, but Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal chairman Upendra Yadav has not participated in any of them. The Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal, whose patron is Resham Chaudhary, has already left the front. Ttamloapa, led by Vrishchandra Lal, has also started being absent from meetings. Janamat Party chairman Dr. C.K. Raut attends some meetings and misses others.< /p>

Although Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal announced a party merger, it has not yet been finalized. Therefore, leaders of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal attend the front's meetings. Despite repeated meetings, they have not been effective. Recently, a 'framework for party integration' was presented at the front's meeting. The meeting was adjourned, with discussions on the framework to be held at the next meeting.< /p>

So far, the front's meeting has become uncertain. Leaders of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal seem inclined not to move forward with the merger process with other parties until the merger between Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal is finalized. A leader of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal said, 'The merger between Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal has not yet been finalized. It is useless to move forward with mergers with other parties immediately. We are currently focused on finalizing the merger between Loktantrik Samajwadi Party and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal.'< /p>

According to a leader of the Rastriya Mukti Party, what is happening in the merger process between Loktantrik Samajwadi Party and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal is their internal matter, but the merger process among the parties in the front should not be delayed. He stated that a framework for unity has already been presented in the front, and there is a need to discuss it and move forward immediately. He added that if they do not want to unite, they should make it clear, otherwise, the parties should not be kept in uncertainty.< /p>

It is an accusation of the front leaders that the proposal for unity first came from Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, but now that discussions about leadership change have started in the parties, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal has started to back down. A framework has been proposed where none of the current chairmen will be the leader of the new party. Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal chairman Upendra Yadav does not seem willing to give up leadership. He has taken the stance that he should be able to lead the integrated party. Therefore, some leaders of the front complain that he is trying to postpone the merger process.< /p>

Resham Chaudhary, patron of Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal, said, 'There is a need to move forward in a new way, but the leaders of the parties in the front are not willing to give up leadership. Therefore, there is no point in staying in that front.'< /p>

Chaudhary clarified that although he has not formally left the front, it can be understood as if he has left. He stated that the party will not function in the old way anymore. Emphasizing the need for change in leaders, ideas, principles, and direction, he said that the chairmen of the parties in the front should be ready for it.