'Divided' UDMF struggles to fix new road map
'Divided' UDMF struggles to fix new road map
Published: 02:30 pm Feb 08, 2016
KATHMANDU: The United Democratic Madhesi Front, which is apparently divided between factions over next strategies, is struggling hard to prepare next plans after the border blockade at Birgunj-Raxaul border point ended on Friday. Top leaders of four UDMF constituents held a meeting in Bhaktapur this morning to announce next protest programmes, but failed to make any concrete decision. Tarai Madhes Democratic Party's Mahantha Thakur, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal's Upendra Yadav, Sadbhawana Party's Rajendra Mahato and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party's Mahendra Raya Yadav had met at Thakur's house in Bhaktapur to review the protest programmes waged in past six months and announce new programmes, if any. However, the meeting failed to make any decision except to continue the discussion tomorrow, according to Pankaj Das, who is close to Mahato. The top leaders could not be contacted over phone despite repeated attempts. Action against Mahato? Some media, however, have claimed that the meeting decided to take action against Mahato for airing views publicly in support of lifting the four-and-half-month blockade without any concrete achievement. Das, on the other hand, refuted the reports claiming they were just rumours. Of late, the UDMF constituents are apparently divided over next strategies after Mahato last week said that the UDMF should block all the border entry points and if it could not do that, it should not block any border entry point. READ ALSO: Mahato’s remark riles UDMF constituents Hostility exposed in public Their hostility could be seen in some social media posts by the leaders and their supporters. Upendra Yadav's media advisor Mahesh Chaurasiya, for example, wrote on his Facebook account on Sunday that Mahato let the Madhes movement fall without yielding any fruit. Chaurasiya has also accused the Sadbhawana Party Chairman of being 'stunt-loving' and 'controversial.' 'Mahato betrayed the Madhes,' he said, 'We should not expect more from him.' Mahato's close aide Upendra Mahato, apparently in response to some anti-Mahato statements, wrote on Facebook today that some UDMF leaders and cadres were trapped into illusion created by some big parties who were trying to spoil the Madhes agitation. 'Beware, let's stay alert,' Upendra Mahato wrote adding that the illusion would soon fade out.