Leaders said the meeting failed to make progress as a section of the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) leadership remains adamant on its decision to boycott the polls.

KATHMANDU, May 26: Madhes-based parties made yet another effort on Thursday to make a common position over participation in the second phase of the local elections even as a meeting of cross-party leaders fell short of arriving to a consensus.

Thursday's meeting, which was attended by top guns of the three Madhesi parties, was expected to take a final call on June 14 polls. Leaders said the meeting failed to make progress as a section of the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) leadership remains adamant on its decision to boycott the polls.
 
While some Madhesi parties have already made up their mind to participate in the local polls, RJPN leadership, which has made constitution amendment and increment in the number of local units a precondition for participating in the elections, still appears undecided on its participation in the polls. 

Apart from RJPN leaders, top guns of all regional parties including Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) Chairman Upendra Yadav and Nepal Loktantrik Forum  (NLF) Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar were also present at the meeting. During the meeting, Yadav and Gachchhadar had jointly appealed to RJP leaders to come on board the election process. The duo also offered to form an alliance among Madhesi parties to challenge major parties.
 
“It would be prudent to use elections as part of the ongoing struggle. The elections will further embolden the Madhes movement,” a leader presented in the meeting quoted Yadav as saying. 
Gachchhadar made a similar request arguing that the possibility of amendment to the constitution before the second phase of the local elections had ended.
 
“It will not send a good message to the public if we take different positions on the elections. Any decision should be based on consensus among the regional parties. My party is ready to work as per consensus,” Gachhadhar told the meeting. 

But RJPN leaders had declined the offer saying they are determined to continue their protests until their demands are met.  

“It would be suicidal to go to polls as not a single demand has been addressed yet. People won't trust us anymore if we decided to take part in polls in such a situation,” RJPN leader Mahanta Thakur told the meeting.
 
Thakur, however, hinted that the Madhesi parties would take part in the polls if local units are increased in the tarai. Though the government has already decided to increase 22 local units in the tarai, the Election Commission has maintained that the polls would be held as per the old demarcations.
 
RJPN leaders said the party is making final preparations to announce new protests. 
“We will now appeal to the people to strongly oppose the elections. We won't just boycott the polls but do everything to foil it,” said RJPN leader Brishesh Chandra Lal.

Leaders of other Madhesi parties say RJPN threat of boycott may be a mere posturing. They said that the party may change its decision at the eleventh hour. 

“They might be thinking that the government would defer the elections if they announce elections,” said an NLF leader. 

“But if they indeed stay true to their words, it will also mount pressure on us to boycott the elections in at least some parts of Province 2.”  

 
• rastriya janata party nepal
 
• madhes-based parties
 
• undecided
 
• second phase
 
• local elections