Kathmandu, March 3

The Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal’s readiness to join KP Sharma Oli’s government on the condition that the left alliance pledge to amend the constitution, has Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal worried.

RJP-N leader Rajendra Mahato said the FSF-N should ensure amendment to the constitution before joining the government. “If the FSF-N joins the government then the left alliance will have two-thirds majority to change the constitution. The FSF-N can serve the interest of the marginalised communities better if it waits  for a few days and ensures the amendment before joining the government,” he said, adding that dozens of agreements were signed with Madhesi forces in the past, but none were honoured and the same thing could be repeated if the FSF-N joins the government without ensuring statute amendment.

Mahato said if the FSF-N joins the government and if statute amendment is delayed, then his party would serve an ultimatum. “If the government does not amend the constitution after we serve the ultimatum, we will have no option but to take to the streets,” he added.

RJP-N sources said the left alliance government’s decision to induct the FSF-N in the government could be an attempt to cause a rift between his party and the FSF-N.

RJP-N leader Manish Kumar Suman said the FSF-N’s hob-nobbing with the left alliance had raised many eyebrows. “Upendra Yadav is a far-sighted leader and I expect him to seal a win-win deal,” he added. Suman said unless the constitution is amended to address the concerns of Madhesis, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli cannot win the confidence of Madhesi people, no matter what he does to appease the FSF-N.

FSF-N General Secretary Ram Sahay Yadav, however, said his party had burnt the interim constitution to protest omission of federalism, and therefore, his party was concerned about protecting the interests of Madhesis, indigenous nationalities and other marginalised groups. “How could a party which was in the forefront in the fight for the rights of marginalised communities forget its agenda? He said his party would never compromise on its agenda. “We formed the electoral alliance with the RJP-N in Province 2 and we formed a coalition government there, but at the central level, both the FSF-N and the RJP-N are free to take autonomous decisions,” he said, adding that if his party reached a deal with the left alliance and joined the government, then it would also want the RJP-N in.

Political analyst Tula Narayan Shah said chances of the constitution being amended would be slim even if the FSF-N reached a deal with the left alliance. “The UML won a large number of parliamentary seats on the anti-constitution amendment plank and I do not think the party would change its position so easily,” he said, adding that any deal with the FSF-N on its participation in the government would just be a face-saving formula.

Shah said the FSF-N had a love-hate relationship with the RJP-N. “The FSF-N complements the RJP-N’s cause and it also competes with the RJP-N where it thinks doing so will serve its interests,” he added.