Jha last month quit the UML, expressing reservations over the party´s policy on the basis for delineating provinces under the proposed federal model. He also accused the UML leadership of promoting their near and dear ones while depriving him of any crucial role at the party´s decision-making level.[break]
Jha, who was elected Constituent Assembly (CA) member from Dhanusha district in 2008, is believed to have a strong hold over several Madhes districts and his joining the Maoist party is expected to make a significant difference in the outcome of the coming CA elections.
"We expect that his entry [into the Maoist party] will make a big contribution to political polarization [away from the status quoists] in Madhes and across the entire country as well," said UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in his written speech at the function organized to welcome former UML leaders.
Though party insiders said it is likely that Jha will be nominated as a standing committee member, this has not yet been announced. "We are committed to giving him an important responsibility in the party´s decision-making and policy level as per his efficiency and the contribution he makes," said Dahal.
Dahal with Jha (R). Also seen Hisila Yami.
Jha has argued that the UML stand against the identity-based federal model compelled him to quit that party. Jha and Sherpa, who were members of the CA state restructuring committee, had voted in favor of an ethnicity-based federal model while other UML members in the committee stood against that model. The seeds of division in the UML over the issue were sown at that very point and the division later sharpened.
On the federal model, the UML has officially decided to stand for multiple identity-based provinces and not to support a single ethnicity-based federal model.
A group of other UML leaders mainly from the ethnic and indigenous communities quit the party last year and formed the Federal Socialist Party under the leadership of Ashok Rai. They quit the UML, vowing to champion ethnicity-based federalism.
UML leaders believe that the main reason behind Jha´s joining the Maoist party is his long-running rivalry with another UML leader, Raghubir Mahaseth, who is from the same district.
When announcing that he was quitting the UML last month, Jha had accused the UML leadership of giving more importance to those who have financial influence in the party instead of promoting members who operate on moral, political and ideological grounds.
Two artistes join UML
Meanwhile, senior radio artiste Laxmi Bhusal, who is popular in her role as Budhi Amai, and singer and musician Surya Thulung the joined CPN-UML at a separate function organized in Kathmandu on Saturday. UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal welcomed them into the party.
Thulung composed the music for several Nepali songs including the popular song "Yo Nepali Thito...".
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