KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) will give its verdict soon over which faction of the Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) is the mother party.

“As our attempts to forge consensus between the groups failed today, the EC will take a decision soon as per the law,” said Uddhav Banskota, the EC spokesperson.

Last month, the MJF was split into two groups — led by Upendra Yadav and Bijaya Gachhadar — over the heated debate as to who should lead its team in the government led by Madhav Kumar Nepal. An EC source said that the commission might take a decision tomorrow or choose the process of hearing before reaching a

decision regarding the authenticity. The source claimed that since the Gachhadar group has

majority members in the central committee, his group has high chances of getting the authenticity as the mother party.

Of the 35-member central committee, the number supporting Gachhadar has reached 19 after a central committee member, Ram Lal Sutiyar, announced his support to the faction today. However, Yadav’s group, saying that the CC has 42 members, has been claiming majority. An EC source, however, said that the record with the office showed that the party’s

CC comprise of only 35 members.

Gachhadar today accused that the Yadav group had extended the CC to 42 members from 35 violating the party’s statute, before the members of his group were expelled from the party.

Jay Prakash Gupta of Yadav-led group insisted that the MJF had 42 members and claimed that his faction holds majority.