Yadav bids to galvanise Madhes forces

JUL 23 - Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav has taken a lead to form a broader alliance among Madhes-based parties in a bid to add steam to the ongoing protest against the constitution writing process.

Yadav’s effort to expand the existing alliance follows the growing public resentment over the final draft of new constitution that he believes could be translated into a decisive moment. He, together with other leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, has started consultations with other Madhes-based fringe parties for a joint protest aimed at keeping up the momentum.

Thousands of people took to the streets in protest of the draft charter in various districts of Tarai on Monday and Tuesday. Though the morcha claims the ownership of the protest, experts say the mass was guided by agendas rather than political affiliation. Even cadres of the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML were found to be participating in the protests. Leaders said the support of fringe parties have become necessary to retain public support.   The encouraging participation of the people means almost all the parties in the Madhes are now positive towards forming a broader alliance, Yadav said, adding that it would be announced very soon.

“Madhesi people proved those people wrong who were thinking that it would be hard to get support during this time of the year. Common people turned out in the streets in their thousands, leaving behind their daily chores. It’s now clear that we could launch a big protest programme to bring down the major parties to their knees,” Yadav said, adding. “All the Madhes-based parties are convinced that is possible if everyone comes together.”

He said it is too early to talk about the numbers of party joining the alliance, but informed that talks are in progress with every “nationalist and revolutionary” forces. Around a dozen Madhesi parties, including those having representation in the CA, have been protesting on their own.  

The morcha also plans to announce additional protest programmes beginning next week.  The Madhes-based parties were compelled to put aside their internal differences after the general public put agendas atop the political affiliation, according to political observers.

Public support to agendas over political affiliation have persuaded major faces in Madhesi politics, including Yadav—who suffered a stinging defeat in the Constituent Assembly polls in 2013—to take the ownership and credit of the protest.

Yadav, who has so far chosen to stay away from politics of consensus, looks keen to lead another protest to make up the lost grounds in Madhesh. The growing popularity of CK Raut among Madhesi youths have compelled established leaders like Yadav, Mahanta Thakur of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhawana Party to stick to agendas set by the Madhesh Aandolan, according to experts. “Most of the learned and professionally successful Madhesis are increasingly getting attracted to the secessionist agenda of CK Raut,” Tula Narayan Shah, executive director of the Nepal Madhesh Foundation, told an interaction programme organised by Martin Chautari on Tuesday.

Sadbhawana Party Co-chairman and senior advocate Laxman Lal Karna said the prospect of an alliance with other Madhesi parties looks bright, as all of them have almost similar agendas. “There could be an alliance with parties that are moving on the same way,” said Karna.