Fringe Madhesi parties -- Mahendra Prasad Yadav-led Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party Nepal (TMSPN), Raj Kishore Yadav-led Madhesi People´s Rights Forum -Republican (MPRF-R), Sharat Singh Bhandari-led National Madhes Socialist Party (NMSP), Bhagya Nath Gupta-led Madhesi People´s Right Forum-Madhes (MPRF-M) -- have said they have finalized their poll agenda though their election manifestos have not been made public yet. [break]
General Secretary of MPRF-R Sashi Kapoor said that his party stands for executive prime minister and a ceremonial president. “The prime minister should be elected by parliament. We have also proposed in the manifesto to give equal weightage to the central and provincial parliaments while electing the president.”
Kapoor further said their party has also proposed a Madhes province in the east and Tharuhat province in western Tarai in their election manifesto. “We are for two Tarai provinces.”
“Similarly, a permanent hajj committee should be formed,” said Kapoor. In a bid to win the trust of Muslim community, TMSPN has proposed establishment of a Muslim University in their manifesto.
“Establishment of an agriculture research centre in Tarai, free education till class 12, upgradation of Nepalgunj, Janakpur and Birgunj airports, provision of educational loan for Muslim students who want to study engineering and medicine, among others, are our main election agendas,” added Kapoor.
NMSP General Secretary Rameshwar Sah has said that the “conservation of Chure Range” will be the main agenda of the party for the upcoming election. “We have proposed conservation of Chure Range in our manifesto as our main agenda,” said Sah. “Postal highways and railways to link Tarai and hill districts, agro-forestry in Chure Range, among others, are our agendas for the polls,” added Sah.
MPRF-M that had boycotted the last CA elections has also finalized the contents of its manifesto. Chairman of the party Bhagya Nath Gupta said that his party still stands in favor of “one Madhes, one province” agenda. “We have proposed forming a single Madhes province in our manifesto so as to institutionalize the achievements of the Madhes movement,” said Gupta.
“We have also called the 601 lawmakers of the previous CA traitors,” claimed Gupta. He then went to accuse Madhes-based parties of working against the cause of Madhes. “We are reaching out to the voters to educate them about how Madhes based parties have lost track,” added Gupta.
“Similarly, we have said that the major Madhesi parties, including Mahanth Thakur-led Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), Upendra Yadav-led MPRF-N, Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar-led MPRF-D and Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party (SP) are capitalizing on the 54 Madhesi martyrs who lost their lives during Madhes movement,” added Gupta.
Related story
Small parties oppose common election symbol
