Kathmandu, June 30:

Senior republican leader Ram Raja Prasad Singh claimed today that some eight factions of the Tarai recently wanted him to lead a “front” to separate Tarai from Nepal, which he rejected “outright”.

“I received an invitation from Upendra Yadav of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum,” Singh told an interaction at Reporters Club today. Singh said he was invited to attend a meeting in Darbhanga of Bihar on May 11. “I went there (Darbhanga) where I was offered to lead the Front of all the Madhesi factions,” he said, adding that there were eight factions, including representatives of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), Jwala Singh

and Goit factions of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha, Madhesi Tigers, Tarai Cobra, among others.

Interestingly, NSP (Anandidevi) is a partner in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led government.

“They did not introduce themselves with me by names, but I know it was Jwala Singh who proposed me to lead the Front to separate the Tarai from Nepal,” he added, but

said that the rumour of becoming the President of Tarai was “fictitious”.

NSP (Anandidevi) leader and Minister for Industry and Supplies, Rajendra Mahato, who was present at the interaction, intervened Singh and asked him who was representing NSP (Anandidevi) in the meeting. “You should tell us his name,” he added. Singh, however, said no-one introduced themselves. Singh said he rejected the idea saying that he was in favour of a united Nepal.

Singh also suggested Nepalis people to rise above “Pahade and Madhesi” slogans and face the constituent assembly polls. “The polls, however, should be based on proportional representation. Mixed system of polls could be a failure,” he said.

Kishore Biswas of MJF said they would not allow the constituent assembly elections to happen if the government failed to address their demands. Warning that MJF would launch a Jana Andolan III from mid-July if the government failed to address the Madhesi issue, Biswas said they would also declare to “break” the dialogue with the government.

Saying that the MJF should not disrupt the constituent assembly elections, Minister Mahato said that the polls should be utilised as an opportunity by the Madhesis. “It is for sure that Madhesis will get a majority in the constituent assembly polls,” he added. Dr Ram Baran Yadav of NC suggested that all Tarai factions should concentrate on polls. CPN-UML central member Raghubir Mahaseth labelled Krishna Prasad Sitaula as the “most incapable” home minister in Nepal’s history.