Although Madhesi parties had attempted to forge alliance immediately after the election dates were announced, it could not become possible then. But now in the course of electoral campaign, these parties are attempting to forge alliance at local level. [break]
"It would have been better had the Madhesi parties forged alliance before launching the electoral campaigns, but that could not happen," Joint General Secretary of TMDP and candidate from Bara constituency number 4, Jitendra Sonal, told Republica. He informed that he has been requesting the people during the electoral rallies to vote for the strongest Madhesi candidate from any party.
Sonal also claimed that Madhesi people want to elect Madhesi parties to entrench key Madhesi issues and said, "So we are making final efforts to forge alliance among Madhesi parties."
After assessing their position following the first-phase electoral campaign that included door-to-door campaign and rallies, Madhesi parties found that they have no better option than to forge alliance among themselves for the betterment of Madhes.
"We are intensifying the ´alliance campaign´ during the second phase, which will start soon after the Chhath festival," Madheshi leaders said.
Prakash Chaugain, a Parsa district member of the Sadbhawana Party, said, "Although the central leadership was unable to forge alliance, we will forge alliance at the local level after the Chhath festival. And we are holding informal meetings toward that end."
According to Chaugain, Madhes-based parties are for supporting the Madhesi candidates, who have the highest possibility of winning the elections. "From the beginning, everyone wanted to forge alliance, but due to arrogance of some Madhesi parties that could not become possible. But now during the electoral campaign, the parties have realized the need for alliance."
TMDP chief Mahanth Thakur, Rastriya Madhes Samajwadi Party chief Sharatsingh Bhandari and Sadbhawana Party chief Rajendra Mahato are currently in a meeting for forging electoral alliance in Bara district, according to Chaugain.
Recently, even Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, the chief of Madheshi People´s Right Forum (Democratic), has expressed interest to forge electoral alliance at local level, Chaugain said.
According to Madhesi leaders, the district-level leaders of the parties will decide which parties is the strongest in which constituencies and if the district-level leaders are unable to decide this then a monitoring committee will be formed and the strongest party will be identified. "Once we identify the frontrunner party, we will support its candidate in the election," Chaugain said, adding, "Whether the central leadership agrees or not, there will be electoral alliance in Bara district."
In the 2008 CA elections, Madhesi parties had won three of the six constituencies of Bara district, the UCPN (Maoist) had won two and Nepali Congress one. During the elections, Madhesi parties were the nearest rivals of the winners in two constituencies.
In constituency number 1 of Bara, Saroj Kumar Yadav of Sadhbhawana Party was elected with 8,182 votes. He had obtained just 304 more votes than his closest rival Ram Babu Prasad Yadav of Madhehi People´s Right Forum Nepal. UCPN (Maoist) candidate, who stood third had bagged 7,513 votes.
In Bara constituency number 2, Madhehi People´s Right Forum Nepal candidate lost the election by a narrow margin of 407 votes. Madhesi People´s Right Forum Nepal leader Pramod Prasad Gupta was elected from constituency number 3, Jitendra Sonal from constituency number 4, Umakanta Chaudhary of Nepali Congress from 5 and Jaya Ram Dahal of UCPN (Maoist) from constituency number 6.
"We are currently assessing the current situation of the Madhesi parties compared to the last elections. The strength of the so-called big Madhesi parties has diminished. And this situation will be supportive for forging alliance," Chaugain said.
In the 2008 elections, there were just three Madhesi parties (Madhesi People´s Rights Forum, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana Party), but now there are altogether 17 Madhesi parties. As all parties are contesting the elections, this has divided the voters and possibility of non-Madhesi parties winning the elections has increased. And this is the very reason the parties are working to forge alliance. Among the total 240 constituencies, 116 are in the Tarai.
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