Congress, JSP-N rule out any truck with Dahal-led NCP

Mid-term election declared to bring political stability

KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 30

Once bitten twice shy. That’s how the Nepali Congress and the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal are reacting to the proposal of joining hands with the dissident faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) even for a common cause.

The NCP led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal has postponed its Standing Committee meeting for a couple of days to hold talks with other political parties, particularly the NC and the JSP-N, to launch a joint protest against the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

However, both the parties have ruled out joining hands with the Dahal-Nepal faction of the NCP.

NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha told THT talks would be held with parties that had called the dissolution of the HoR ‘an unconstitutional and undemocratic act’.

Joint General Secretary of NC Prakash Sharan Mahat, however, ruled out any possibility of a joint protest with Dahal-Nepal faction of the NCP. “The HoR dissolution is unconstitutional and undemocratic and we will protest against it on our own,” he said. He added that his party did not want to join hands with Dahal-Nepal faction since leaders associated with that faction kept mum when the Oli-led government moved bills violating constitutional provisions to curtail people’s freedom. Moreover, when the government took no initiative to hold election for deputy speaker of the HoR they didn’t utter a word, he added.

Mahat said the Dahal-Nepal faction would join hands with Oli the day their self-interests converged with that of Oli’s.

“Even if we do not join hands with others to protest the dissolution of the HoR, it will create positive momentum against the government’s act in the society and that will ultimately serve the public interest,” Mahat added.

Referring to NC, Dahal had said yesterday that although some forces wanted to take part in mid-term polls thinking that a split in the NCP would benefit them, the reality was that Oli would try to prolong his stay in the government and without conducting elections on time.

JSP-N leader Rajendra Mahato also ruled out any truck with the Dahal-Nepal faction. He recalled that Madhesi Janajati forces had jointly fought for political change in the 2006 popular movement, but the major forces promulgated the new constitution after brutally suppressing Madhesi agitation and killing scores of people in the region.

Mahato said that as long as communist forces showed racist attitude against marginalised communities, there was no possibility of collaboration with them.

He said no faction of the NCP was ready to address the demands of marginalised communities and groups, including Madhesis and Janajatis.

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