Gachhadar's Nepal Loktantrik Forum merges with Nepali Congress

Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar on Monday announced the merger of his party, Nepal Loktantrik Forum (NLF), with the Nepali Congress (NC).

Gachhadar had left NC and joined the Madhesh Movement a decade ago.

After returning to the folds of his mother party, Gachhadar said the unification was necessary for the preservation of democracy.

"The election of province and the Parliament is set to commence. In this important period, today I have returned to the Nepali Congress, which is my old party, after 10 years for the preservation of the democracy," Gachhadar said.

He further said that he took the decision with much guts and cared two hoots about what others had to say.

"Today, I took the step with much guts and I don't care about what others say. Many might be criticising me and they also might blame that Gachhadar dissolved our (NLF) party. Some may leave me now or may leave me in future, but I am fully confident that they are not the major things of concern," Gachhadar asserted.

Gachhadar has won the elections in 1991, 1994 and 1999 under the NC banner. He joined the Madhesi Janadhikari Forum, led by Upendra Yadav, in 2008 after he was expelled by the NC. But, that unity did not last for a year and Gachhadar formed a new party named Nepal Loktantrik (Democratic) Forum in 2009 and contested the Constitution Assembly Election in 2013 with victory in two places.

It seems that a merger wave is sweeping Nepali politics. After the announcement of the merger agreement between the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist and the Maoist Center some weeks ago, many other fringe parties have come under the flag of different parties. With the formation of the Communist alliance, other parties are now attempting to forge alliance to contest the upcoming polls.