Sanghiya Limbuwan Party Nepal (SLPN) has decided to leverage the upcoming local level elections to strengthen its base in the eastern hill districts.

The party is currently focused on building and expanding its organisations in the eastern districts, including Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam and Jhapa.

Co-chairman of SLPN Khagendra Makhim has said  the recent extended plenum of the party had made a decision to utilise the May 14 elections to the party’s advantage.

“We will not participate in the polls, because we don’t want to come off as supporters of the constitution. We will not boycott it either, because it is our reading that doing so would be counterproductive for the party. What we will do instead is make a strategic use of the election, which could mean forging alliance with other parties with whom our party share similar objectives,” he said. 

Makhim claimed in some Panchthar villages, his party’s role could be crucial in defeating the candidates fielded by the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. 

The party is considering forming alliance with the parties like the CPN (Maoist Centre), Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal and the Kumar Lingden-led Sanghiya Limbuwan Forum during the local elections. 

SLPN General Secretary Gajendra Lawati said the party’s struggle for a separate Limbuwan state and reinstatement of Hindu nation through constitutional amendments will continue along with the party’s new decision concerning the local level elections.

“Our protest will continue until the last day of candidacy registration. Then we will go to the people with the candidates of our choice,” Lawati said.  

Meanwhile, the Kumar Lingden-led Sanghiya Limbuwan Forum has threatened to disrupt the elections if they are conducted without amending the constitution. 

Addressing a programme at Dharan in Sunsari district on Saturday, Lingden said his party will not accept the elections that are held without settling the issues of boundary demarcation and names of the provinces.