RJPN eager to merge with Samajbadi Party: Mahendra Raya Yadav

KATHMANDU, May 7: Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) leader Mahendra Raya Yadav has said that unification with the newly formed Samajbadi Party Nepal is the need of the people and country.

Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) led by Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Upendra Yadav and Naya Shakti Party Nepal led by former Prime Minister Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai formally united on Monday to form Samajbadi Party, vowing to become an alternate political force in the country.

With the new party taking the agenda of constitution amendment and people’s struggle as their medium to move forward centering their politics in Terai-Madhes, RJPN seems eager to give the stalled month-long merger process another go ahead.

“We want to merge with the Samajbadi party. We did not have enough time for discussion with the FSFN. But informal negotiations are still continuing. RJPN-Samabadi merger is the need of the country and people,” said Yadav talking to Rishi Dhamala at a Nepali Radio Network program Nepali Bahas. The RJPN is currently on homework for holding its first general convention.

“The ruling party Nepal Communist Party and the main opposition party Nepali Congress are trying to force two-party system bringing the provision of five percent threshold. Therefore, unification with Samajbadi is a requisite. Our party has officially decided to merge,” he added.

At present, a party should garner three percent votes under Proportional Representation and at least one seat under the First-Past-the-Post in the elections to gain the status of the national political party.

When asked if RJPN will agree with Samajbadi party’s 11-province model for the federal structure, Yadav said that his party also demands state restructuring.

“We have demanded revision in the constitution because we disagree with the current model of province demarcation,” he said.

Also, if the unification with the Samajbadi materializes, it will put RJPN into a stronger position to bargain with the government its agenda of constitution amendment since the three-party merger will give them 34 seats in the 275-member parliament.

RJPN, in early March, withdrew its support from the government led by Nepali Communist Party Chair K P Sharma Oli, citing the prime minister failed to keep his promise of constitution amendment.

“The clause in disagreement must be amended. Consensus on the political issues we have forwarded is a must,” he said.

He also asked Prime Minister Oli to discard his arrogance of two-third majority he commands in the parliament.

“The arrogance of previous governments led to breaking of 10-yearlong Maoist insurgency. If PM Oli keeps showing his arrogance, more problems will be created. There will be no peace, good governance and stability,” he said.

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