KATHMANDU, June 18: A senior leader of the agitating Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) has defected to the main opposition party, CPN-UML.
Treasurer of RJPN Anita Yadav has joined the UML. Party Chairman K P Sharma Oli welcomed Yadav to the UML amidst a special function held at the party headquarters in Dhumbarahi on Monday.
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This comes just a few days after RJPN Joint General Secretary Samim Miyan Ansari joined the UML. This is seen as a meaningful development in political circle as various Madhes-centric parties had accused UML of being anti-Madhesi party.
Addressing the welcome function, Chairman Oli said the decision of senior leaders of Madhes-based parties to join UML has shown that the propaganda made against the UML in Tarai-Madhes had been over and the Madhesi people have recognized UML as the only party that is committed for the welfare of the Madhesi people.
Yadav is wife of late UML leader Krishna Dev Yadav, who was recognized as a popular leader of Madhes. Anita Yadav had joined the RJPN recently after her husband Yadav died in a road accident.
On the occasion, Oli criticized the agitating Madhes-based parties of pursuing politics of prohibition. He argued that UML was not given opportunity even to put forth its views among the Madhesi people.
Oli also accused the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) behind the deferral of local level elections in Province 2. Oli argued that the NC had put pressure on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to postpone the polls in Province 2 for September 18.
