MJF chief sets 'condition' for joining govt

Coordinator of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Upendra Yadav (File Photo)

Coordinator of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Upendra Yadav, has said that his party will join the next government only if the "one Madhesh one province" demand is accepted by the would-be ruling allies.

Speaking at a programme in Sunsari, Yadav said that there must be common understanding among the parties in the next government on key agendas including "one Madhesh one Pradesh" demand.

He said that the party will again take to streets if the issues of Madhesis, Janajatis and Dalits are not addressed.

Yadav's statement comes at a time when the Maoist leadership is trying to convince the major parties including the MJF, which has established itself as fourth largest party after the constituent assembly polls, to join the new Maoist-led government.

"One Madhes one province" was one of main election slogan of the MJF as well as other Terai-based parties like Terai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party and Sadbhawana Party.

The concept of the slogan is to establish a single province comprising the entire flat land from eastern Jhapa district to far-western Kanchanpur district. Earlier, the Maoists, Nepali Congress and UML had squarely rejected this