Chitwan, June 17

Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal presidium member Rajendra Mahato said the local level elections should be held simultaneously in all Tarai districts from Jhapa to Kanchanpur.

Speaking to mediapersons at Bharatpur airport today, Mahato denied having reached any deal with the government to put off the elections in Province 2. “There was no deal whatsoever to defer the polls in Province 2. The government is just spreading the rumour that we agreed with the government to postpone the polls. We are ready face consequences, but we just can’t go to the polls unless our demands are met,” he clarified. He also vowed to disrupt the June 28 elections in Province 1, 5 and 7.

Mahato accused the government of trying to divide Madhes and Tharuhat on the pretext of elections. “Anybody can understand what the government is trying to do by singling out Province 2,” he said. He warned of grave consequences if the government remained adamant on its decision to go ahead with civic polls in other provinces. Mahato accused the main opposition CPN-UML of standing in the way of constitution amendment. “UML’s assurance that it will cooperate in statute amendment after the polls is a ruse. We can take part in the elections only if the statute is amended before the polls,” he insisted.

RJP-N presidium leader Mahantha Thakur condemned the government’s decision to postpone the polls in Province 2. “By proceeding for the elections on June 28, the government inviting a disaster,” Thakur said, adding they would resort to stringent agitation if the major parties continued to be apathetic towards the concerns of the Madhesi people.