Charging Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) Chairman Upendra Yadav with deceiving the Sanghiya Gathabandhan by joining the local election process without their demands being addressed, members of the alliance have ousted him as its leader.

With the action against Yadav, SSFN, a major constituent of the Gathabandhan, is no more with the alliance of the Janajati and Madhesi forces. The development also led to dissolution of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, which had only two parties lately after six Madhes-based parties merged to form the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN).

A meeting of the Gathabandhan decided to elect RJPN convener Mahantha Thakur as the new leader of the Gathabandhan.

It was Yadav at whose initiative the Gathabandhan was formed by bringing Madhesi and Janajati forces together. 

Yadav’s SSF-N has formed an electoral alliance with the Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Nepal for local polls. It was registered with the Election Commission long ago. However, Yadav had been claiming that the Gathabandhan would not take part in local level elections unless the constitution is amended.

According to RJPN leader Keshav Jha, the meeting also decided to continue their agitation if the ruling coalition fails to amend the constitution before holding the second round of elections on June 14.

Since the Janajati forces urged the RJPN to lead the Gathabandhan, or else they would part ways, the newly formed force decided to lead the bloc, said Jha.

The Gathabandhan has nine Janajati forces—the Kumar Lingden-led Sanghiya Limbuwan Rastriya Manch; the Budhharaj Syangtan-led Aadibasi Janajati Party; the Bijay Sainju-led Nepa Rastriya Party; the Padma Ratna Tuladhar-led Aadibasi Janajati Rastriya Aandolan (AJRA); the Kumar Rai-led Samajik Loktantrik Party; the Sanjuhang Paluhang-led Sanghiya Limbuwan Party Nepal; the Tularam Lama-led Tamsaling Samyukta Sangharsha Samiti; the Prem Bahadur Khati-led Khasan Rastriya Sangharsha Samiti and the Gopal Kirati-led Kirat Pradesh Sangharsha Samiti. According to Jha, leaders of the SSF-N were not present in the meeting. On Wednesday, Nepa Rastriya Party, a member of the Gathabandhan, had opposed Yadav’s decision to join the polls without agreement with the other forces.

Yadav was not available for comments.