SJTMM, Sadbhawana Party merge

KATHMANDU, July 2: With Constituent Assembly elections announced for November later this year, Madhes-based parties have intensified negotiations for party unification and alliances. Sanjay Gupta’s Samyukta Jantantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (SJTMM) and Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party (SP) announced Tuesday that the two parties are unified.



Speaking at a press meet at the Reporters´ Club Nepal this afternoon, Sanjay Gupta aka Kautilya Sharma said the party merger is for the broader cause of Madhes. “To institutionalize the achievements of Madhes movement, we are united,” he said, adding, “After the unification with SP, we will further make the movement revolutionary in an intellectual manner.” [break]



Gupta also revealed that he will be leading the ‘Raksha Bahini’, a youth wing of SP. It may be recalled that the SJTMM was a Tarai-based armed outfit.





Nepal Sadbhawan Party chairman Rajendra Mahato and Janatantrik mukti morcha leader Sanjay Gupta shaking hands after party unifivation in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

Keshab Thoker



Chairman of SP Rajendra Mahato said he will forge unification with some other armed outfits of Tarai as well. “What I believe is every armed outfit based in the Tarai-Madhes should join open politics,” said Mahato. He also said unification between them would help the party to expand its organizational base in entire 75 districts. Mahato said the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections must be held on the scheduled date of November 19. “We don’t have any other alternative left,” said Mahato. He also added that the Baidya-led CPN-Maoist does not carry the genuine demands and that the Maoist party was simply against the polls.



“At any cost, CA polls will be held on the scheduled date and Baidya’s absence in the polls would not make any difference,” he said. When asked about any possibility of unification between his party and Mahantha Thakur’s Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), Mahato said informal talks were underway in that direction.



General Secretary Manish Kumar Suman said, “Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar (the coordinator of United Democratic Madhesi Front) has no basis to coordinate the High Level Political Committee (HLPC).” He claimed that none of the Madhesi parties of UDMF appointed Gachchhadar as coordinator of the Front. “On what grounds, he became the coordinator of HLPC?” he questioned.

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