The decision to bring three more Madhesi parties -- Rastriya Madhes Socialist Party, Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) and Madhesi People's Right Forum (Republic) -- into the UDMF was made at a meeting of the TMDP head office at Bijulibazaar on Thursday.
"During the meeting, leaders of the three parties agreed to join the UDMF," SP Co-chairperson Laxman Lal Karna said.
A formal announcement will be made on Friday afternoon, according to the UDMF.
The three Madhesi parties are curretnly in a separate four-party alliance named Federal Inclusive Madhesi Alliance (FIMA). The fourth constituent Jaya Prakash Gupta-led Tarai Madhes Rastriya Abhiyan (TMRA) has been left out.
As three constituents except TMRA have their representatives in parliament, they will be included in the UDMF. When asked why Gupta-led TMRA will not be included in the UDMF, TMSP Vice-chairman Ramnaresh Raya Yadav said TMRA is not yet a political party.
"We will collaborate and intensify our struggle for the cause of Madhes," Yadav told Republica. According to him, UDMF, which has now withdrawn the strike considering the people's sufferings, will announce new protests soon. Earlier, Madhes-based parties forming two alliances -- UDMF and FIMA -- had separately launched their protests since August last year against some contents of the constitution, which was then in the draft stage.
"It is a step forward toward forming of a grand alliance of the agitating parties in the Tarai to continue the movement," SP General Secretary Manish Suman said.
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