After months of speculations over their political future, UML’s influential ethnic and Madhesi leaders including Ashok Rai, Bijay Subba, Rakam Chemzong, Rajendra Shrestha, Pasang Sherpa, Rizwan Ansari and Gopal Thakur have quit the party along with more than 500 activists.
At a program on Thursday in Kathmandu, leaders blamed the party for being ‘anti-federal’ and insensitive to demands of the marginalized. They alleged that the party had played a negative role in the constituent assembly and the leadership had exhibited opportunist character in order to accede to power.
UML's Janajati and Madhesi leaders had been protesting against party leadership's 'regressive' stance on crucial issue of identity, following which many of them had to face disciplinary actions. Speaking amid activists and journalists gathered, Rai, who was among the leaders that faced leadership's hammer said, “We are pained by the decision but there is no alternative, as our efforts to correct party’s regressive stance on federalism and identity have failed.”
The decision by UML leaders comes a day after twenty Janajati leaders from Nepali Congress, led by ex-CA member Kumar Rai quit the party. The mass exodus of ethnic and Madhesi leaders could significantly hurt the old parties by weakening their base in the districts, especially because most leaders who left have a large number of followers in their respective constituencies.
The number of Janajati and Madhesi leaders quitting the two parties could go up in the coming weeks and there is a possibility that the leaders may unite under a separate party. However, the leaders have not made it clear whether they plan to launch a party immediately or join another party, although we have it on good source that the group is holding serious discussions with recently formed Federal Democratic Front led by Upendra Yadav.
To show a brave face after a mass exodus of their influential leaders, CPN-UML has declared a show of strength in the capital tomorrow. The party has vowed to bring out hundred thousand people on the streets of Kathmandu and send message that they are ‘number one’ party in the country.