Nepal's key Madhesi party splits on its first anniversary

Nepal's major Madhesi party Rastriya Janta Party-Nepal (RJPN) today split on its first anniversary after a disgruntled group formed a new party.

The disgruntled group of 32 party workers led by RJPN vice chairman Ashok Kumar Yadav quit the party and formed a new party named Rastriya Janata Party (Loktantrik).

During a press meet to announce the newly-formed party, Yadav said that the unified RJPN could not play any role for the amendment of the Constitution and accused it of exercising role to be a part of the government deviating from its agenda to amend the Constitution.

He criticised all top leaders of the party for ignoring the agenda of the Constitutional amendment and tried to betray the right of Madhes and representation of the Madhesi people.

"Innocent people lost their lives in the Madhes agitation. But only six members of the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal Presidium and their family members reap benefit from the same, he said.

We were compelled to split from the RJP as the party leaders were in a hurry to join the government instead of piling pressure on the government to amend the constitution," he said.

Six Madhes-based parties, which claim to represent the interests of inhabitants of the southern Terai region who are mostly of Indian origin, last year on this day had merged