Yadav, Gupta both fail to woo home district chairmen

KATHMANDU, June 19: As their efforts to have the district chapter chairmen of the mother party in their respective folds continued over the past few weeks, both Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) Chairman Upendra Yadav and newly-formed MPRF-Republican Chairman Jaya Prakash Gupta have had a big reason for disappointment.



Gupta could not bring district chapter chairman of his home district Shailendra Kumar Shah into his fold and Yadav could not stop his home district chapter Chairman S N Mehta from defecting to the Gupta-led MPRF-R. [break]



Sunsari District Chapter Chairman Mehta disappointed Yadav by joining the newly-formed MPRF-R while Saptari District Chapter Chairman Shah let down Gupta by clinging to the party establishment despite the latter´s repeated attempts to woo him.



The central level leaders of both parties are trying their best to influence the district leaderships and strengthen their positions at the grass-root level even as the newly-formed MPRF-R expedites formation of its district chapters. Gupta broke away from MPRF on May 23 along with 12 other CA members.



Four district chapter chairmen and two district chapter vice-chairmen have so far chosen to join MPRF-R, after breaking away from the Yadav-led MPRF.



Asked why he chose to join MPRF-R, then Sunsari district chapter chairman of MPRF Mehta said, “I decided to join MPRF-R as Upendra Yadav tries to ignored the issues of the Madhesi people.´´



MPRF Jhapa District Chapter Chairman Moit Lal Kamati, Treasurer Mahendra Bhushan and Under-Secretary Kailash have also joined MPRF-R.



Likewise, MFRF Rautahat District Chapter Chairman Dr. Abdul Shamad and Kapilvastu Vice-chairman Ram Sinha Chuadhari have also joined MPRF-R.



All the district chairmen defecting from MPRF admitted that they have joined the newly formed party led by Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta.



Vice-chairmen of MPRF Dhanusha chapter Surendra Mandal and Bara District Vice-chairman Binda Yadav are also among those joining MPRF-R.



Sources said the Siraha district chapter leadership is in a quandry whether to join the new party or stay with the old as it is waiting for the latter´s commitment to erect statues to the martyrs of the Madhes movement and meet other demands of martyr families.



MPRF-R Chairman Gupta claimed that the trend of MPRF cadres joining his party has been growing right from the day the district chapters were formed. ´´This is a major blow to MPRF following the split in the party,´´ Gupta said.



However, MPRF Chairman Yadav dismissed Gupta´s claim, saying 99 percent of district leaders are still with the mother party. ´´Some leaders might have joined the other party under financial inducement as they are being given Rs 500,000 and a motorcycle each,´´ Yadav claimed while talking to Republica over the phone.



Gupta flatly rejected the allegation that some leaders had chosen to join his party under financial inducement. “It´s shameful for him to make such an allegation. He thinks the Madhesi people are just a salable commodity,” he added.



Claiming that his party organization is still intact, Yadav said there was a good turnout of cadres during the gatherings of the party´s leaders and supporters in the Tarai districts recently.



Worried over the possible loss of party cadres even as the formation of MPRF-R district chapters is under way, MPRF is also currently busy organizing gatherings of party leaders in various districts.



MPRF-R has already formed chapters in Parsa, Bara, Rautahat, Jhapa, Sunsari, Dhanusha, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, Banke, Rupandehi and Kailali in the past two weeks, according to its leaders.

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