No poll alliance with UCPN (Maoist): Madhesi leaders

KATHMANDU, March 28: A week after the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA) - an alliance of the UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-based and other fringe political parties - decided to go to polls with a common manifesto, common candidates and a common agenda, leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) have ruled out any possibility of forging an electoral alliance with the UCPN(Maoist).



Accusing the UCPN (Maoist) of double-dealing on issues of Madhes, Rameshwor Raya Yadav, senior vice-chairman of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) - a constituent party of UDMF - said they cannot forge an electoral alliance with the UCPN (Maoist). [break]



“Madhesi people still do not trust the UCPN (Maoist) completely,” stated Yadav, adding, “Madhes-based political parties must remain cautious of the UCPN (Maoist).”



Yadav said that it would be difficult for the Madhes-based parties to forge an electoral alliance with the UCPN (Maoist), which has earned disrepute for double-dealing.

Joint General Secretary of TMDP Jitendra Sonal said forging an election with UCPN (Maoist) is not possible given that even an alliance between the Madhes-based parties has not materialized so far.



Dan Bahadur Chaudhari, general secretary of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party-Nepal (TMDP-N) - another constituent party of UDMF - maintained that they can cooperate with the UCPN (Maoist) on certain issues but cannot forge an electoral alliance with them. “The idea of an electoral alliance between UDMF and UCPN (Maoist) is completely fictitious,” added Chaudhari.



Senior leader of MPRF-Republican BP Yadav said UDMF had forged an alliance with the UCPN (Maoist) only for the coalition government. “The alliance between the UCPN (Maoist) and UDMF has been terminated with the dissolution of the Baburam Bhattarai-led government,” he stated.



However, BP Yadav maintained that Madhesi leaders may forge an electoral alliance with the Maoist leaders individually. “If a Madhesi leader forges electoral alliance with Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the basis of his personal relation with the latter, we would have no objections,” he said, adding, “UDMF has already made it clear that there will not be any alliance with the UCPN (Maoist) for the purpose of election.”



General Secretary of Sadbhawana Party Manish Suman said UDMF has not taken any decision on electoral alliance with the UCPN (Maoist).



“If any decision on alliance between UDMF and UCPN (Maoist) has been taken, the decisions are only of two leaders -- Mahantha Thakur and Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar,” he argued.



Suman said the last meeting of UDMF held on February 12 had not held any discussion regarding electoral alliance with the UCPN (Maoist).

Related story

Early setback for left alliance as Bhattarai decides to quit