Madhesi Parties' Unity Talks Stall as Leaders Refuse to Relinquish Posts

Kathmandu. The attempted unity among Madhes-centric parties will not happen immediately.  

Unity was previously decided among the Madhes-centric parties affiliated with the Federal Democratic Front and those outside it. However, the parties will not unite as the chairpersons have refused to step down from their positions.

The Federal Democratic Front had made a decision on Chaitra 19 to unite the Madhes-centric parties. The Front had decided to dissolve itself and move forward with party unity as it was not seen that change was possible through the Front alone.  

A draft on party unity was presented in the Front's meeting held in the third week of Baishakh. However, it has become certain that unity will not happen now as the chairpersons of the parties have not relinquished their respective posts.

The proposed draft submitted to the Front clearly states that the chairpersons of all uniting parties must step down. When the unity process moved forward, it is said that the unity process itself was obstructed because the chairpersons refused to step down.  

As the unity process was not seen to be moving forward, the Nagarik Unmukti Party, whose patron is Resham Chaudhary, has already separated from the Front. Patron Chaudhary said, 'When no one is willing to give up their post, how can unity happen? Unity by accepting the old chairpersons is impossible.'

A leader of Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) Nepal said, 'After the Janjivan movement, every aspect changed, but there has been no change in Madhes' politics and political parties.'

He said, 'All current chairpersons must step down and give leadership to new people; the party cannot run with the old thinking and old leadership.' However, he stated that he has not seen such thinking among the chairpersons of the Madhes-centric parties.

Currently, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) Nepal have united. Upendra Yadav is the chairman and Mahanta Thakur is the patron of the unified JSP Nepal.  

There is criticism within the party that this has not provided a sense of newness. A leader of LSP Nepal said, 'After the Janjivan movement, every aspect changed, but there has been no change in Madhes' politics and political parties.'

If at least both chairpersons had become patrons and someone else was made chairman to unite the party, it would have sent a good message. However, with the same old leaders dominating from bottom to top, there is no room for new people. That leader complained that there is no action plan to attract new people to the party. A 54-member working committee has been formed, most of whom are old faces.

Keshav Jha, General Secretary of Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal, said that the unity process among the parties will not move forward as the chairpersons are unwilling to step down.

Currently, dialogue for unity among other parties has also stopped. The first condition for unity was that the chairpersons must step down.

He said, 'Intensive homework was done for unity among the parties in the Front and outside the Front, and a draft was also prepared accordingly. However, in the end, the unity process has been halted for now as the chairpersons refused to relinquish leadership.'

Homework was ongoing for unity among JSP Nepal, LSP Nepal, Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal, Janamat Party, Janata Pragatisheel Party, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (Tamalopa), and Nagarik Unmukti Party. Among them, JSP Nepal and LSP Nepal have already united. Janata Pragatisheel Party and Tamalopa, which participated in the same unity process, have separated.

Currently, dialogue for unity among other parties has also stopped. The first condition for unity was that the chairpersons must step down. However, leaders say that JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and Janamat Party Chairman Dr. CK Raut are not in favor of relinquishing their respective posts.

As the chairpersons are unwilling to step down, Ram Kumar Sharma, a leader of JSP Nepal, has resigned from the party. He stated that politics cannot move forward in the new context without moving forward in a new way, and the organization cannot function with the old methods and leadership.

He said that the party chairpersons and senior leaders should be kept in a specific place with high respect, and leadership should be given to new people to move forward. He emphasized the need to form a broad party that includes Madhesis, Tharus, Janajatis, and Khas Aryas.