Kathmandu, November 30

The first meeting of the presidium of Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal under new Coordinator Rajendra Mahato could not be convened today due to former coordinator Mahantha Thakur’s ill health.

Mahato said Thakur told other members of the presidium that he had some health issues and was planning to fly to New Delhi on Sunday for health check-up. Mahato also said that Thakur told the leaders that he had no grudge against the party’s recent decision to rotate the leadership of the presidium and he would take part in the party meetings after he returned from New Delhi.

Thakur loyalists are, however, unhappy with the party’s decision to remove Thakur. They said that the decision to rotate the leadership of the RJP-N presidium lacked consensus and was thus an illegal move. Other leaders of the presidium, however, said that the statute contained provision whereby leadership of the presidium should rotate every two months.

According to Mahato, Thakur  also told the party leaders to informally discuss among themselves issues related to the party’s organisations and first General Convention scheduled to be held in April which could be formally discussed when he returned from New Delhi.

An RJP-N leader close to Thakur, however, told THTThakur refused to take part in the party’s presidium meeting today. Thakur could not be contacted for comments.

Another party presidium member Anil Kumar Jha, who had opposed the party’s decision to remove Thakur as presidium coordinator, also did not attend the planned meeting. Jha, however, told THT that he could not attend the planned meeting because he was busy attending the meeting of the Development Committee of the House of Representatives.