Party chairman Upendra Yadav organized a clandestine "get-together" of the party´s select CC members and lawmakers at Hotel Marsyangdi, Thamel on Monday evening to bring more lawmakers into his fold. Yadav´s hold in the MPRF´s parliamentary party slipped away as leader Bijaya Gachchhadar supported UML-Nepali Congress alliance with the signatures of 32 of the 53 lawmakers in the party on Sunday. Going against the decision of the party Central Committee, Gachchhadar has also told the UML-NC coalition that the MPRF would join the government under his leadership.
Yadav´s effort is already showing some results. Pramod Prasad Gupta, who signed in favor of UML´s prime ministerial candidate Madhav Nepal´s favor, along with Gachchhadar, Sunday seems to have switched sides. He was asking all the party lawmakers and central leaders to attend the get-together organized by Yadav.
Gupta suggested not to read too much into the get-together. "Oh is there such a meeting?" exclaimed Gupta when myrepublica.com asked him to inform what the meeting was about. But upon insistence, he said it was just a get-together with no authority to take any decisions.
It is not clear how many of Gachchhadar loyalists have switched sides but he still seems to be retaining majority of them. "Pramod Guptaji was calling us to attend the get together but we did not go," said Karima Begam, a vocal critic of Chairman Yadav. "Except a few, none of the women lawmakers in our party have attended it," she said. When asked whether he was invited in the get-together, one of Gachchhadar´s aides retorted, "It would be better to ask Pramodji who has been invited."
Gupta is learnt to have called most of the members in the party except die-hard supporters of Gachchhadar who has even threatened of summoning a special convention of the party if Upendra Yadav-dominated central committee fails to endorse the parliamentary party´s decision to join UML leader Madhav Nepal-led government. "Some lawmakers were calling me to attend the gathering somewhere in Thamel but I did not go," said Hem Raj Tated, an MPRF lawmaker.
Chairman Yadav´s supporters, however, said the meeting was initiated by party´s youth wing, and all the lawmakers and central leaders were invited. "It is absolutely a private gathering initiated by youths. There is no political motive," said Atma Ram Prasad Sah, a Yadav loyalist. When asked whether it would make any news, he said. "No, don´t send reporters and photographers."
The gathering, however, is being attended by only 15 to 20 lawmakers and 5 to 10 other Central Committee members. "I was informed that members from both the sides would come and discuss issues of consensus in the party, but only a few members are present and no political discussion is held," said Raj Lal Yadav, a member close to Chairman Yadav.
Gachchhadar, who is in minority in the Central Committee, also expedited consultations with the central leaders to bolster his support in the party´s top decision-making body. "If Gachchhadar fails to garner support of at least 40 percent of the central committee member he might face disciplinary action should the rift between the two factions get worse," said an MPRF leader.
Anti-Defection Law requires at least 40 percent of the lawmakers to defect from the parent party to avoid disciplinary action. If they fail to do so the party Central Committee can take action against the lawmakers and strip them of the representation in the parliament.
yuvraj@myrepublica.com
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