A majority of MPRF-D lawmakers (16 out of 28) on March 5 had registered a petition demanding meetings of parliamentary party and central committee within 15 days. Other two lawmakers of the party had given verbal consent to the petition. [break]
According to sources, the meeting is likely to witness a heated debate as both disgruntled lawmakers and lawmakers close MPRF-D Chairman and parliamentary party leader Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar are prepared to stand their own grounds.
“We will ask the party chairman why Madhesi issues have been brushed under the carpet even as the party is in the government,” said party lawmaker Pramod Gupta who also signed the petition demanding parliamentary party meeting.
Gupta accused the party leadership of being power centric rather than working for the Madhesi cause. “The four-point agreement between the UCPN (Maoist) and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) in August has neither heads nor tails now,” added Gupta.
He stated that they would also question the government´s decision to provide financial aid of Rs 20 million to the Maoist Everest expedition team. “The government has not provided relief to those wounded in the Madhes movement but it provides such a huge amount to the son of Maoist chairman,” said Gupta sarcastically.
The disgruntled party lawmakers, including senior leader Sharat Singh Bhandari, said they would raise the issue of “one man, one post” in the party as Gachchhadar has been holding the post of party chairman as well as parliamentary party leader.
Chief whip of MPRF-D Ramjanam Chaudhari, a leader close to Gachchhadar, stated that the party chairman is not the only leader to hold multiple posts.
The disgruntled lawmakers have warned of severe steps if their concerns are not met.
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