Madhesi parties unite to form ‘Federal Democratic Madhesi Front’

KATHMANDU: Seven political parties focused on the Madhesh region are set to announce the formation of the ‘Federal Democratic Madhesi Front’ today.

The leadership of the front will be rotated, with the first phase of leadership being taken by Upendra Yadav, the president of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP).

The front will include the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, the Democratic Socialist Party Nepal, the Janamat Party, the National Liberation Party Nepal, the Janata Pragatisheel Party, the Nagarik Unmukti Party, and the Terai Madhesh Democratic Party.

Initially, eight parties were expected to join the front, but it has been confirmed that the Janata Samajbadi Party (led by Ashok Rai) will not be participating.

However, the participation of the Nagarik Unmukti Party remains uncertain. A leader from the Democratic Socialist Party Nepal stated, “It is still unclear whether the Nagarik Unmukti Party will join when the formal announcement of the front is made.”

The main objective behind forming the front is to unite in opposition to the government’s recent proposals for constitutional amendments.

The ruling alliance, led by the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, has introduced plans to increase the threshold for representation, remove the proportional representation system, and promote a two-party system.

In response, the Madhesh-based parties have united, arguing that these proposals would weaken the democratic system and diminish the representation of the Madhesi community.

Heartfelt efforts were made by Hridyesh Tripathi, president of the Janata Pragatisheel Party, to form the front. He consistently held discussions with the leaders of Madhesh-centered parties to advance the concept of the front.

After several meetings, two working committees were formed.

The first committee was tasked with defining the front’s standards, code of conduct, and common issues, while the second committee gathered feedback from all parties to finalize the structure of the front.

After receiving the reports from these committees, preparations are now in place for the official announcement of the front.

Following the formation of the front, there is growing interest in what its future strategy will be. Front leaders have stated that they will immediately work to halt any attempts at constitutional amendments.

Furthermore, there is speculation that the front may explore potential alliances with other parties advocating for Madhesi rights in upcoming elections.